DUP under fire as election nears

The Democratic Unionist Party was tonight accused by its main rival of adopting a “parasitical” approach to the Good Friday Agreement.

As the North’s tense Assembly Election entered its final week, senior Ulster Unionist Sir Reg Empey challenged the Rev Ian Paisley’s party to explain why it had not walked away from Stormont on a point of principle.

The East Belfast candidate said: “There are people who have been benefiting from the Agreement, taking all the benefits such as membership of the Assembly and all the salaries that go with it, without contributing anything to its creation.

“That in my mind is parasitical behaviour.

“The DUP portrays itself as having this lofty position of opposing everything in the Agreement but the reality is they are participating in its structures.

“Why have they not taken a principled stand of saying we oppose this Agreement, we oppose these institutions and will not participate in them?

“It’s because the DUP effectively accept all the institutions and are going to work the system.

“They are not going to tear it up. They are going to get in there, try and move the furniture around but they accept the system.”

Sir Reg’s attack came as unionist, nationalist and cross community parties prepared for a frantic final push to persuade voters to come out and support them on Wednesday.

With 108 Assembly seats up for grabs, the battle for supremacy in nationalism between Mark Durkan’s SDLP and Gerry Adams’ Sinn Féin is as fierce as it is in unionism between the DUP and Ulster Unionists.

Under Northern Ireland’s complex proportional representation voting system how people mark their ballot papers will be crucial to determining how the final seats fall in the 18 six seater constituencies.

Mark Durkan and Gerry Adams have called on their supporters to give their candidates their first preferences on the ballot paper and then to back in order of preference other pro-Agreement candidates.

The Ulster Unionists, however, have called on their voters to give their later preferences to other unionists in their constituencies regardless of whether they support the Agreement or not before transferring to pro Agreement parties.

At an SDLP campaign event in Belfast attended by the singer songwriter Brian Kennedy, Mr Durkan was critical of the UUP’s advice.

The Foyle Assembly candidate said: “I believe pro Agreement voters should vote for pro Agreement candidates.

“Obviously the best pro Agreement candidates to vote for is the SDLP. If, for their own reasons, people are voting for pro Agreement parties like the UUP, Sinn Féin or Alliance, I will hope people will transfer first to the SDLP and then anyone else.

“So I appeal to pro Agreement unionists, over the heads of their own leadership, to vote pro Agreement and transfer pro Agreement.

“That is the best way to protect the Agreement. Transferring in a way that only advantages anti-Agreement unionists is in nobody’s interest.”

Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy today appealed to voters to turn out in force on Wednesday.

Mr Murphy also confirmed there would be multi party talks to restore the trust and confidence needed to reactivate devolution after the election.

“We have come quite a long way in doing that over the past number of weeks. We haven’t quite done it completely,” he said.

“Doubtless after the election there will continue to be talks to re-establish that trust. In addition, of course, under the terms of the Agreement, there has to be a review of the Agreement and that will start before Christmas too.”