SINN FEIN disagreed with just two clauses of the 14 page paper published by the forum's drafting committee yesterday. But the issue in those two clauses goes to the heart of republican ideology.
It is that of how to measure "consent" to the outcome of a future talks process in Northern Ireland. The paper says the agreed outcome of talks would have to be "ratified by the people of Ireland, North and South".
This allows the people of Northern Ireland to say "No" to any agreement, even if it has majority support among the people of the whole island of Ireland. "The word consent has become a euphemism for the old unionist veto, and that would be a barrier to dialogue," said Sinn Fein vice president, Mr Pat Doherty, yesterday.
Sinn Fein would not, therefore, sign up to the idea that a majority in Northern Ireland has a right to determine the future constitutional position of Northern Ireland. A majority in the island as a whole can overrule a majority in Northern Ireland, in this view.
Mr Doherty left open the prospect of reopening discussion on the issue during all party negotiations. "All parties have the right to hold their own positions going into negotiations whenever they come. The ways and means of measuring agreement should be part of the negotiating process, not determined in advance."
The parts of the paper from which Sinn Fein withheld its consent yesterday - clause 5 and part of clause 8 - were in the section containing the principles and requirements the forum proposes as necessary elements of a political accommodation and settlement". Clause 5 states:
The achievement of such a new accommodation will require the urgent establishment of an inclusive talks process - carefully and, sensitively prepared - involving the political parties as well as the two governments.
Addressing all the relationships involved, the task of the process will be to secure agreement and the maximum degree of consensus on the nature and form of future constitutional political and institutional arrangements and structures.
Having regard, inter alia, to practical and legal requirements, the agreed outcome of this process will have to be ratified by the people of Ireland, North and South.
The relevant part of Clause 8 reads:
Securing an agreement which can earn and enjoy the allegiance of the different traditions on the island will be a core task of the comprehensive, all party talks described in paragraph 5 above.
Should these talks result in an agreement, and if that agreement were democratically ratified North and South, then the result of that ratification process will represent a valid and legitimate exercise by the people of Ireland as a whole of their right to self determination.