The Sinn Féin president has warned that the "continuous shredding" of the Belfast Agreement is undermining republican confidence in it, writes Dan Keenan, Northern News Editor
Mr Gerry Adams said his party's supporters could cease to support the agreement "as an instrument of change", but said they were not at that point yet.
He was speaking in Armagh as the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, told the House of Commons that no progress towards the restoration of the Stormont institutions was possible unless all the main parties were on board.
"I think everybody accepts it is best to \ with all the main political parties that have got support in Northern Ireland being represented in the government," he said.
Mr Adams dismissed SDLP plans to restore the Assembly, the North-South Ministerial Council and the British-Irish elements of the agreement through the appointment of appointed administrators. Such civic administrators, nominated by the governments, would act in place of the power-sharing executive and remain until consensus was reached concerning the full restoration of the agreement.
Mr Mark Durkan, the SDLP leader, unveiled details of the proposals which he said were aimed at "stopping the rot" of direct rule, protecting the agreement's architecture, revitalising Strands Two and Three and increasing local political accountability.
Mr Adams dismissed the plan, saying: "Giving up on the agreement, whether it is in the form of the SDLP's ill-considered proposals or departures by the two governments like the Independent Monitoring Commission, or the suspension of the institutions, play into the hands of rejectionist unionism and other hostile elements within the British system."
He said republican confidence in the governments' handling of efforts to restore devolution was low, but added significantly: "It is possible to resolve the outstanding issues in this process and to bring it to completion." The British government announced yesterday a series of initiatives, some of which touch on key republican and nationalist concerns. The Northern Ireland Office plans to announce a new Chief Commissioner and members to the troubled Human Rights Commission in the autumn.
Sinn Féin and the SDLP have strongly criticised the current commission's record and insisted on progress on the rights agenda.
Mr John Spellar, a Northern Ireland Office minister, said of the commission: "We in government want it to succeed and are committed to helping it to do so." Public administration is also to be overhauled, it was announced yesterday by the Northern Ireland Office. Proposals are expected to cut the number of local councils from the current 26 to as few as five.
There are some 550 local councillors in Northern Ireland, 19 health trusts and four health boards, in addition to 108 Assembly members, 18 Westminster MPs and three members of the European Parliament. Representation in all cases is above the UK per capita average.
Mr Ian Pearson, the minister responsible for the Review of Public Administration, predicted a final model which would streamline local councils and link their boundaries with health services providers. This would mean cuts in the number of councillors andcouncil staff. It will be the biggest and most radical shake-up of local government since 1973.
Privately, many in the North's parties accept the need for reform. But there are some suspicions that a revamped local government tier could be fashioned as an alternative form of administration should efforts to restore Stormont fail.
Yesterday's government announcements could mean efforts to reform Northern Ireland and aid efforts to restore Stormont are being stepped up.