MR GERRY ADAMS said yesterday talks between himself and Mr John Hume aimed at advancing the peace process would continue, although prospects of a pre election pact between their respective parties have been destroyed.
Meanwhile, it was learned that the Democratic Unionist Party leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, and the Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, have already held preliminary meetings aimed at agreeing an informal electoral "understanding" to maximise unionist representation after the coming elections.
Mr Adams, president of Sinn Fein, accused the SDLP leader, Mr Hume, of killing hopes of a cooperative pact between their parties which might have increased nationalist representation.
"What we wanted to do was to discuss with the SDLP how nationalist representation could be maximised and how unionist misrepresentation in nationalist constituencies could be rectified," Mr Adams said. "But the SDLP have said `no'."
The Sinn Fein leader said that as a result his party would aim to contest every constituency. He accused the SDLP of exaggerating the significance of participation at Westminster by demanding that Sinn Fein should drop its policy of abstentionism there.
"The refusal of Sinn Fein representatives to take an oath of allegiance to the English queen has not prevented us from representing our electorate," said Mr Adams.
However, he stressed that his joint contacts and efforts with Mr Hume on the peace process were unrelated to party political interests and would continue.
Meanwhile, Dr Paisley confirmed that, following a letter from himself to Mr Trimble, he had held a preliminary meeting with the UUP leader and hoped to have further discussions.
Mr Trimble said that in the past the two main unionist parties had operated "understandings" in certain electoral constituencies, rather than a formal pact. A similar arrangement might be possible in the forthcoming elections.