SINN FEIN ratified candidates at the weekend to contest all but two of the 18 Northern constituencies in the forthcoming Westminster election, and said the election offered the best possibility of breaking the current stalemate.
Some of the party's most senior figures, including its president, Mr Gerry Adams, are to stand, and it will canvass for support on the basis that a "new and credible" peace process must be constructed and is Sinn Fein's priority.
A statement issued on behalf of Mr Adams said Sinn Fein had wished to explore the possibility of an electoral pact with the SDLP. "We were prepared to discuss every single constituency in order to make sure that every effort was made to rectify unionist misrepresentation of some constituencies and to maximise nationalist and republican representation," he said. "The SDLP ruled this out."
It was therefore their clear intention to maximise the Sinn Fein vote, the statement added. Mr Adams himself will contest West Belfast, where he will be challenging the sitting SDLP MP, Dr Joe Hendron.
Sinn Fein will be hoping to emulate its strong showing in last year's Forum election, in which it secured 15.5 per cent of the total valid poll. It gained four of the five Forum seats for West Belfast, leaving Dr Hendron as the sole SDLP representative. But Dr Hendron claimed there had been large scale personation by Sinn Fein voters in the constituency.
A surprise omission from the Sinn Fein list is the Dungannon councillor Mr Francie Molloy. He headed the party's panel in MidUlster in the Forum elections and Sinn Fein captured the biggest share of the votes in the constituency, with 13,000 votes compared to the SDLP's 12,482.
On this occasion, however, Sinn Fein ardchomhairle member arid chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, has been chosen as candidate for Mid Ulster, and there has been speculation that Mr Molloy was passed over because he had favoured calling on the IRA to announce a ceasefire before the election.
The Sinn Fein national chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, will challenge the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, in the Foyle constituency. The Maze escaper Mr Gerry Kelly will contest the North Belfast constituency and the Sinn Fein vice president, Mr Pat Doherty, will stand in the new West Tyrone constituency.
Mr Adams's statement said that the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, had made clear his intention to do nothing about peace in Ireland until after the election.
"Despite this attitude, Sinn Fein will continue with our effort. A negotiated peace settlement is our priority," he said. "It is our view that the next election offers up the best possibility for a new opportunity to break the current stalemate created by an inflexible British government."
The panel ratified by the ardchomahirle was as follows: West Belfast: Gerry Adams; West Tyrone: Pat Doherty; Foyle: Mitchel McLaughlin; Mid Ulster: Martin McGuinness; North Belfast: Gerry Kelly; Fermanagh South Tyrone: Gerry McHugh; East Belfast: Dominic Corr; South Belfast: Sean Hayes; East Derry: Malachy O'Kane; Lagan Valley: Sue Ramsey; Newry Armagh: Pat McNamee; North Antrim: James McCarry; South Antrim: Henry Cushnahan; South Down: Mick Murphy; Strangford: Garret Seaninin O Fachtna; Upper Bann: Bernadette O'Hagan.
The ardchomhairle also ratified candidates for elections in the Republic, including Councillor Caoimhghin O Caolain as candidate for Cavan Monaghan.