Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams today said the party was looking for a strengthened mandate when it returns to peace process negotiations after the British general and local government elections.
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Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams
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Mr Adams, launching his party's local government campaign in Belfast, confirmed that all-party talks would begin immediately after counting of the votes is over next month.
He said it was essential that republicans going into talks on decommissioning, demilitarisation, policing and sanctions against Sinn Féin ministers had a strong voice.
“We want people to take ownership of the negotiations, to strengthen the hands of the republican negotiators and send a message on policing, the equality agenda, demilitarisation and a clear signal of the right to self-determination," he said.
Mr Adams said he was “mystified'' by Mr Trimble's threat to resign as Northern Ireland First Minister if there was no substantial progress on IRA disarmament.
“I am mystified by what he is trying to achieve by this threat to resign. It makes the elections irrelevant. It makes the role of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning irrelevant”.
Mr Adams said it was now up to the Irish and British and Mr Tony Blair in particular to stand up to the Ulster Unionist leader and to tell him ``that this is as good as it gets''.
The West Belfast MP said he expected Sinn Féin to make significant gains in the local government and Westminster elections - particularly on Belfast City Council. He said: “Since Alex Maskey was elected as the first Sinn Féin councillor in 1982 despite intimidation, murder attacks, censorship and ongoing efforts to smash Sinn Féin, our party has gone from strength to strength”.
Mr Adams was flanked by the party's 18 local government candidates in Belfast at the launch of their campaign in the Waterfront Hall.
He was also joined by Sinn Féin's six local government candidates in Lisburn and the two in Castlereagh.
PA