MR Gerry Adams asserted yesterday that an electoral mandate should secure Sinn Fein a place at the talks table by right, regardless of IRA activities.
The Sinn Fein president said. "No matter what the IRA does, those who vote for Sinn Fein have the right to have their views represented, and Sinn Fein will stand by those voters".
He said Sinn Fein would be at the talks table "if the British government stick to their position that those with an elective mandate should be there".
When it was put to Mr Adams that the British government appeared likely to adhere to its position that no invitation would be issued to Sinn Fein unless the IRA restored the ceasefire, he said. "Well then, the question has to be put to the British government do they really want peace, do they really want a democratic settlement?".
As controversy continued over the contacts between senior Sinn Fein officials and the Tory MP, Mr Michael Mates, Mr Adams told reporters in Belfast the significance of the meetings had been distorted. Sinn Fein had contacts at many levels of the political spectrum.
He said the contact which led to the meetings with Mr Mates had come initially "from someone who does not represent either Sinn Fein or the British government".
Mr Adams said his party valued all honest dialogue. He said, however, that there had been no contact or dialogue with the British government for some time. Mr Mates had made it quite clear, and Sinn Fein knew, that he was not representing the government.
Asked about reports that a role might be suggested for Senator George Mitchell in the talks process, he said "We do need the good offices of someone of integrity who is acceptable to all the parties. Given the stated position of the British government on the Mitchell report, they could not very well reject the good offices of Senator Mitchell if he was to come forward as a chairperson."
However, a DUP spokesman said yesterday that Senator Mitchell would not be acceptable "in any shape or form" in the political talks.
The party described the meetings involving Mr Mates as "political treachery" on the part of the government. The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, said. "They'll use anybody for their own ends... They're prepared to save their own skins from a bombing campaign on the mainland and they will sell us down the river."
The UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, said the revelation about the meetings did not help towards building the trust and confidence needed to create the right sort of atmosphere for the forthcoming talks.
The Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, yesterday repeated his denial that the meetings were a breach of government policy in regard to contacts with Sinn Fein.