Sinn Féin accused British Prime Minister Tony Blair today of "denying democracy" to the people of Northern Ireland by refusing to set a date for the Stormont elections.
The party also said Mr Blair's demand of more clarity from the IRA was a "smokescreen" designed to obscure the fact that the Ulster Unionists did not want elections.
Mr Conor Murphy, Sinn Féin leader in the Northern Ireland Assembly, said there was "deep anger right across Ireland" that the elections were put off.
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Mr Blair postponed the poll, scheduled for May 29th, because of a lack of progress in the peace process, blaming the failure of the IRA to give a clear indication that it was abandoning paramilitary activity for good.
Sinn Féin expressed concern that a Government bill formally postponing the elections did not mention a new date, despite the Prime Minister's earlier declaration that the poll would be held in the autumn.
"It is a severe blow to democracy in the North that the entire population have been denied the right to vote," Mr Murphy told a Westminster news conference.
"It is of regret that the bill that the government have brought forward through the House has no fixed date for any election in the autumn.
"It actually is a denial of democracy. It is not just republicans, it is all of the voters in the north of Ireland who have been denied an opportunity to exercise their franchise.
"The British government have unilaterally decided at the stroke of a pen to do away with elections.
"The British government may have the power to do this but they certainly do not have the right.
"This sends a very bad signal to those who say that the British government are not serious."
PA