Mr Martin McGuinness has warned that allegations about the source of Sinn Féin's funding could jeopardise talks on reviving the institutions in the North, writes Denis Staunton in Davos
Speaking in Davos yesterday, where he was attending the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, Mr McGuinness said that recent remarks by politicians in the Republic were aiding opponents of the Good Friday agreement.
"Many people in the North are asking why some politicians in the South are trying to jeopardise the success of the process. It is interesting to hear unionist politicians echoing these remarks. I think some of the statements can be used by unionist politicians to jeopardise the talks," he said.
Mr McGuinness claimed that those who accused Sinn Féin of using illicit funds were motivated by "fear and trepidation" of the gains his party could make in June's European and local elections.
Dismissing the allegations as "windbaggery", he said it was important to note that no member of Sinn Féin had been called before any tribunal investigating corruption by politicians.
Mr McGuinness took part yesterday in a panel discussion on the Northern conflict, along with the SDLP leader, Mr Mark Durkan, Mr Gregory Campbell of the DUP and the UPP's Mr David Ervine.
Mr Campbell said the outcome of last November's election had changed the political landscape in the North and had made clear that his party's concerns must be addressed if progress is to be made.
"I believe it has changed irrevocably because people in my community decided that all they had seen in the last five years had got to go and had to change.
"Over the past six years they had reaped the whirlwind that had been sown and they decided they were not having it any more," he said.
Mr Campbell claimed that "reverse discrimination" against Protestants was already a reality in the North, citing the recruitment policy of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Mr McGuinness said that this week's decision by the Rev Ian Paisley not to stand for election to the European Parliament in June signalled that the DUP was engaged in a leadership transition. He acknowledged that the DUP's concerns must be considered in a review of the Good Friday agreement but insisted that renegotiation was not an option.
He urged the British and Irish governments to proceed with the agreement's implementation over the heads of the DUP if necessary.
Mr Durkan praised the role of the United States in facilitating the peace process but suggested that the focus should be on encouraging politicians in the North to take responsibility for the future.