Gerry Moriarty,
Northern Editor
Mr Tony Blair has stated that the IRA has still not demonstrated that it is ceasing violent activity, despite Mr Gerry Adams's insistence that the IRA and Sinn Féin have honoured their undertakings.
The British Prime Minister also indicated that he did not expect the DUP to share power with Sinn Féin without the IRA verifying it was ceasing activity. Mr Blair said in a Downing Street briefing yesterday that he was not convinced that the "acts of completion" required by the British and Irish governments to demonstrate that the IRA was ending activity had taken place.
Mr Blair said while he believed the Sinn Féin leadership was committed to making the political process work, there must be no ambiguity about the republican's movement's position on violence.
"We can't have a situation where people are expected to sit in government with political parties attached to active paramilitary organisations. That is precisely the reason why we have not had a functioning devolved government in Northern Ireland, because we have not been satisfied about that."
Mr Blair said the forthcoming review of the Belfast Agreement would be dominated by two issues.
"The two issues are going to be: one, is it clear that on the part of the unionist majority there is a willingness in principle to share power and work in the executive together with all parties that are abiding by the Belfast Agreement? And two, in respect of the republican party, Sinn Féin, is there a clear understanding that we can't have a situation where any party that is in government is associated with active paramilitary organisations?"