The Sinn Féin President, speaking in south Armagh this afternoon, has again said that, 'Sinn Féin is a party that rejects criminality of any kind and no republican worthy of the name can be involved in criminality.'
Gerry Adams added that there was no room in the party for other that clear and unambiguous commitment to democratic politics and the pursuit of goals by legal and peaceful means.
Referring to the wider peace process, Mr Adams said republicans had demonstrated their capacity for taking risks. He said there would be more hard choices and more hard decisions for Irish republicans to make.
He said the peace process was in grave difficulties and just as all in political leadership must share responsibility for the crisis they must also share the responsibility to put the process back on track.
In a direct attack on Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern, the Sinn Féin leader added that the republican people of Belfast did not need Irish Government ministers to lecture them on their patriotic duties.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party has said if Sinn Féin abandon criminality and insurrection he would share power with republicans.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio One's This Week programme, Dr Ian Paisley, said all sides involved in such a power sharing arrangement would need to accept the need to pursue only democratic means.
