THE BRITISH and Irish governments should intervene in the event of the failure of the Stormont Executive to guarantee political progress by "other arrangements", Gerry Adams has said.
The Sinn Féin president was referring to the continuing impasse with the DUP over a series of issues, most notably the devolution of policing and justice powers.
"The core of the problem," Mr Adams claimed, "was the DUP commitment to partnership government." He said some DUP figures had publicly advocated an end to mandatory coalition involving Sinn Féin, Ulster Unionists and the SDLP.
"They want to get back to what amounts to majority rule," Mr Adams said. "We need to be clear, we have all had to pay a price of the peace process and the political institutions that have been put in place. The price which the DUP have to pay is equality and partnership government. There is no other way to go forward."
He accused some in the DUP of "wanting rid of partnership government"."That's not going to happen," he warned. Either unionists and nationalists work for progress "or the two governments have to take up their responsibilities and make progress by other means". He said the St Andrews Agreement provided for this to happen.
However, the DUP hit back, accusing him of petulance, while the SDLP said Mr Adams referred to Executive failure as "a scare tactic to cover the failure of Sinn Féin to negotiate anything of real value at St Andrews".
DUP Assembly member Nelson McCausland said: "Does constantly issuing threats in the media because [Mr Adams] isn't getting his own way make it more likely that current problems will be overcome? If this is leadership Sinn Fein-style it leaves a lot to be desired."
He added: "The DUP has said that we are willing to work with others to resolve important outstanding issues, but Mr Adams will have to accept that resolving issues does not equate to giving him what he wants."
SDLP deputy leader Alasdair McDonnell accused Sinn Féin and the DUP of involvement in "a blame game". "Once again we are seeing the evidence that Sinn Fein were outflanked and out- manoeuvred by the DUP at St Andrews and are out of their depth in government," he said.
Referring to the suggestion that the two governments intervene, he said: "The days of seeking solutions elsewhere should be over. The current problems facing the Executive, and indeed the people who elected us, should be settled in our own political arena, in the Executive and the Assembly.
The South Belfast MP said the Assembly is "the natural domain" and he called on Mr Adams "to talk to the SDLP and the unionist parties in an effort to break the logjam".
Mr Adams said his party was committed to solving contentious issues such as an Irish language Act, a possible shared sports stadium at the Maze prison site and the devolution of policing and justice powers. He said agreement could be reached on these issues after the summer recess.