THE SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, has, warned the IRA that by continuing a campaign of violence it is jeopardising the loyalist ceasefire and making it very difficult for unionists to believe that republicans are committed to peace.
Mr Hume admitted that he was "frustrated, deeply angered and saddened" by the state of the peace process and he accused the British government of wasting opportunities for peace by making stupid decisions.
The SDLP leader refused to say if he would be standing for Westminster in this year's British general election. He pointed out that he had a very heavy workload as an MEP and party leader but said that the decision would be taken much nearer the election, which must be held by May.
Mr Hume, who was speaking on RTE radio yesterday, called on the IRA to declare immediately an unequivocal ceasefire. When asked if he felt stabbed in the back by recent IRA attacks, he said that violence "stabs everybody in the back" and made no contribution to resolving the North's problems.
The massive IRA bomb discovered outside Belfast Castle on New Year's Eve caused even more difficulties for the peace process, he said. "If unionists see things like 1,000lb of explosives being prepared by the IRA, surely it is very difficult for them to be anything but sceptical about the prospects for a ceasefire," he said.
He feared that, if IRA violence continued, loyalists could end their ceasefire. In those conditions, the new spiral of violence was likely to be "far worse than any violence we have had".
He urged the IRA to accept that the Irish people had the right to decide on the methods used to achieve their objectives. The Irish people rejected anything but peaceful methods, he added.
"This is not 1916. This is not 1912 or 1920. It's a much smaller world today," Mr Hume said. "It's a post nationalist world. Patriotism today is about spilling sweat, not spilling blood, about building a society in which there can be a role for everyone.
"I'm asking the IRA to lay down their arms and join the rest of us in building that society."
Mr Hume was also highly critical of the British government's behaviour.
If Mr John Major had accepted his proposals in October, there would have been an unequivocal IRA ceasefire immediately, he said. The British government would not agree, even under these circumstances and Sinn Fein's commitment to the Mitchell principles, to give republicans direct entry into talks.
Instead, it offered a process involving negotiations at different levels which could last 18 months.
Mr Hume also urged the unionists to meet their political responsibilities.
"If the unionists make clear that they are willing to sit down with Sinn Fein in the event of an unequivocal restoration of the IRA ceasefire, I believe that could produce peace immediately on our streets," he said.
He pointed out that the SDLP had been willing to talk to fringe loyalist parties which represented organisations which had killed hundreds of civilians.
Mr Hume is understood to want to stand down as Foyle MP and not to contest the forthcoming Westminster election. However, he is believed to be worried that his political heir, the former SDLP chairman, Mr Mark Durkan, might not poll as well and that the seat could go to Sinn Fein, which is experiencing a resurgence in the city.
Mr Hume would also be eager to retain his Westminster power base if the peace process was still in a shaky state.
Meanwhile, the DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, has accused Mr Hume of being duped by the IRA.
He said that a new IRA ceasefire would not allow Sinn Fein entry into multi party talks. "Mr Hume was deceived by the IRA himself. Does he think that we are going to be deceived by them?" Dr Paisley asked.