The Ulster Unionist Party and Sinn Fein fought another round of recriminations yesterday, with Mr Ken Maginnis accusing republicans of being contemptuous of practical politics and Mr Gerry Kelly claiming unionists were incapable of sharing power.
Amid some media speculation that Mr Chris Patten's policing commission may bring forward its report to next month, a commission source said the likely date for publication was late September.
Sinn Fein and the UUP have not met since the failure earlier this month to form an executive and, according to Sinn Fein, no talks have been arranged for this week. Both sides, however, indicated they were willing to hold further bilateral meetings.
Mr Gerry Adams and his senior colleagues are due to hold a press conference on Thursday when they will outline their response to the proposed review of the political deadlock. This is due to begin on September 6th and will be chaired by the former talks chairman, Mr George Mitchell.
The IRA, with its statement last week, and Sinn Fein have been adopting a hardline stance over the failure to establish a formal executive. Some Sinn Fein sources are suggesting that on Thursday the party will not state definitively whether it will engage in the review. "The current view is very angry, very negative," said one source.
A Sinn Fein Assembly member, Mr Gerry Kelly, again accused the UUP of being unwilling to share power with his party. It was clear, he said, that unionists "opposed the formation of an inclusive executive and sought the collapse of the institutions agreed under the Good Friday agreement."
Mr Dermot Nesbitt, a UUP Assembly man, said his party wanted to share power and while, to use the words of Mr David Trimble, the political process could not work without Sinn Fein, neither could it work without decommissioning.
Mr Ken Maginnis, the UUP's security spokesman, said Sinn Fein and the IRA, with the failure to disarm, had "again confirmed its contempt for practical politics and continues its repudiation of those who strive for permanent peace.
"Fearful only of Sinn Fein/IRA's inability to change, Ulster Unionists have been proven to be right, both in their commitment to help create democratic opportunity and in their insistence on disarmament of all terrorist weaponry," he added.
Mr Maginnis said that Sinn Fein's electoral successes sadly were "exploited as an endorsement for IRA aggression rather than as a signal to integrate within a democratic system that would involve neighbours working together.
"Unable to shake off its commitment to narrow, irredentist nationalist philosophy of the late 19th century, it overtly displays those traits which are the very antithesis of modern republicanism. It has contravened any claim to respect the will of the people," he added.
Mr Maginnis said while Mr Ahern and Mr Blair could be excused their eagerness "to interpret so liberally the IRA's intentions" on decommissioning, they should now be in a better position to understand "the more cautious and reciprocal" approach of the UUP.
A Patten Policing Commission source said that its report would probably now be completed in late September. The Sunday Times predicted that the Patten proposals would be published in August, ahead of the September review, but the source insisted this was highly unlikely.
A commission spokesman also described as "speculation" a report in the Observer that the commission will recommend that the RUC Special Branch be abolished.
The dissident republican group, the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, maintained its attacks on Sinn Fein and the IRA. "It is clear that unionism not only wants Provisional surrender, but wants it on conditions it dictates," said a spokesman, Mr Francis Mackey, yesterday.
"The disarmament issue is the only obstacle remaining now to the total defeat of the Provisional movement. Now that they are so near to achieving the core element of their strategy with regard to the process - the end of Provisional opposition to their role in Ireland - the British state will ensure the Provisional leadership delivers the last, but most important, of its concessions," said Mr Mackey.
The Northern Ireland Unionist Party leader, Mr Cedric Wilson, has said he intends handing over a letter of protest to the US consulate in Belfast following last week's decision by US Congress members to end funding for training and exchange schemes involving RUC officers.
Mr Tom French, the Workers' Party president, said that the Belfast Agreement was in danger of collapse because of the persistent refusal by unionists and nationalists to set aside their differences for the common good.
This refusal was being dictated by "a backward fear of offending the most intransigent sections" of unionism and nationalism.
"There is an attitude abroad that the peace process should fail, one that is now becoming common currency with both nationalists and unionists," he said. "This is . . . an attitude which runs counter to the democratic rights of the people of Northern Ireland."
