Sinn Fein Ardfheis: The Democratic Unionist Party will eventually deal with Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland's political institutions, Sinn Féin's chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, has declared.
Speaking during the opening session of Sinn Féin's Ardfheis in Dublin, Mr McGuinness said a unionist "stamp" was needed on the Belfast Agreement.
"I believe that unionist leaders understand as we do that political agreement has to be reached at this juncture, in the best interests of the people we both represent.
". . .They must know there will not be a better opportunity, or any better deal available," he told the ardfheis, which is expected to attract 2,000 delegates.
"There are those within the DUP too who can see this as clearly as anyone in the Ulster Unionist Party," said Mr McGuinness.
"The DUP, which has already been working the structures of the agreement, no matter how much they may protest, will eventually find itself in a position where it will deal with republicans," he added.
Tomorrow, Mr McGuinness will offer delegates an update on the current contacts with the Irish and British governments in the wake of the Hillsborough talks earlier this month.
Dublin and London insist that no negotiations are ongoing about the final package due next month from the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair.
Opening the ardfheis, outgoing Sinn Féin general secretary Ms Lucilita Breathnach said RTÉ will today broadcast party president Mr Gerry Adams's main address for the first time.
Claiming some of the credit for last month's anti-war march in Dublin, which attracted up to 100,000 people, she said Sinn Féin has tried since the 1990s to build political strength.
"At times there has been confusion, with people believing that political strength and electoral strength were one and the same. But there are many kinds of electoral strength.
"The marches of 150,000 people in Belfast and Dublin against the war on Iraq were a demonstration of the political strength of those people in Ireland who support a policy of military neutrality," she said.
On the second Nice Treaty referendum, she said the No vote was strongest in the constituencies where SF won general election seats, or came close to doing so.
Delegates accepted a motion demanding the right of attendance in the Dáil for Westminster MPs from Northern Ireland, along with the election of the Seanad's members from a list of candidates from North and South of the Border.
In addition, delegates called on the Government to allow citizens in Northern Ireland to vote in presidential elections and demanded that Irish neutrality be copper-fastened by constitutional amendment.
Ms Breathnach will step down as general secretary at the conclusion of the ardfheis to become the party's equality and culture officer. She will be replaced by Mr Robbie Smyth, a leading Dublin party activist.
A debate this afternoon will hear criticism of the use of public private partnerships, in the wake of the difficulties with one of them encountered by Ms Bairbre de Brún during her time as Northern Ireland health minister.
