Adams offers ceasefire hint

THE SINN Fein president, Gerry Adams, again called last night for direct dialogue with the British Government to clarify key issues in the Downing Street peace declaration, and hinted that if the right signals flowed an IRA ceasefire could not be ruled out.

He told party workers in west Belfast: 'The Unionist veto prevents political movement and makes the achievement of consent impossible. I have to go back to the 10 May situation, where . . . at the British request a proposition was put to the IRA to suspend its campaign and the IRA agreed to do that and then the British walked away from it.

'There is still the opportunity for peace and Sinn Fein is committed to ensuring the British Government doesn't squander that opportunity,' he said.

Mr Adams accused the Government of being an obstacle to the peace process, saying: 'The sooner they provide this clarification the sooner Sinn Fein can come to conclusions.'