Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Fein has said of ETA ceasefire announcement that "caution should not prevent progress" (read article in Castilian here, La Vanguardia). Adams, speaking about the video communication delivered by ETA on Sunday, urged the Spanish government to seize the opportunity that they have been offered. Writing in the UK newspaper The Guardian Adams says, "a peace process between the Basques and the Spanish state must respect the democratic mandates. The electorate have the right to elect the party that they want to represent them and the Spanish government should accept this decision." According to Adams, the announcement of a ceasefire is "a culmination of years of debate, discussion and the formulation of strategies among Basque activists"; a dialogue that has involved senior representatives of Sinn Fein including Adams himself. "By the end of last year, there was an impressive internal process between parties, trade unions and thousands of Basque political activists." He continued, "in February, a conference of left-wing nationalism, which includes the banned Batasuna group, had agreed a new approach on a broader front, which committed the participant Basques to use, 'exclusively political and democratic methods to achieve political change' in total absence of violence and without interference. He insisted that this "indicates that the Basque parties understand the need to build on that initiative. The Spanish government should seize this opportunity for peace and progress." Adams concluded that: "There are dangers on the road. No conflict resolution process is safe. But the benefits of eventual success far outweighs the dangers of failure."