Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists have reacted angrily to contradictory statements by the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, on the standing of Sinn Fein vis-a-vis the IRA. Mr Blair's comments that Sinn Fein spoke for the IRA on the decommissioning issue were rejected yesterday by the Sinn Fein vice-president, Mr Pat Doherty, who said the party would not make commitments on behalf on the IRA.
"Mr Blair knows Sinn Fein's position on this. We have been consistent. Sinn Fein does not represent any other organisation. We are not the IRA, and we cannot and will not make commitments on its behalf," said Mr Doherty.
On Thursday, the Taoiseach said that Sinn Fein and the IRA were "two separate organisations". However, Mr Blair later stressed that the republican movement is "effectively one movement".
In turn, the deputy leader of the Ulster Unionists, Mr John Taylor, claimed yesterday that Mr Ahern's remarks had effectively given a "kiss of death" to the talks process and had "undermined to a large extent" The Way Forward plan which emerged from last week's negotiations at Stormont. Mr Taylor said the Taoiseach was attempting to create the conditions for Sinn Fein to be able to "wash their hands" of a decision by the IRA not to give up arms, enabling them to continue in an executive without decommissioning.
He also suggested that a second reason for Mr Ahern's "change of policy" was to open up the possibility of a Fianna Fail/Sinn Fein coalition in the South at some point in the future.
With legislation to enact the British-Irish peace plan due to be presented in the House of Commons on Monday, the Sinn Fein Assembly member, Mr Gerry Kelly, said yesterday that the approached being adopted by Mr Blair was "not helping the situation".
"In my opinion, Mr Blair is making a serious mistake. He is threatening to exclude Sinn Fein and stop the accelerated prisoner release scheme. He is repeatedly saying that Sinn Fein has to do more. We can do no more. Indeed, some republicans think we have gone to far."
Mr Kelly claimed that talk of excluding Sinn Fein from an executive was encouraging the UUP to continue delaying and obstructing the implementation of the Belfast Agreement.
However, the indications are that the legislation on Monday will not contain provision for any specific exclusion of Sinn Fein and will place the responsibility for timetabling and certification of decommissioning with the Independent Commission on Decommissioning.
Mr Kelly called on the British Prime Minister to "stand up to the unionist veto, not cave in under it".
"Unionism is the problem here and the British Prime Minister accepting the unionist veto is a bigger problem."