Greens' Stormont vote plans 'naïve'

Green Party proposals to change the voting system for the election of First and Deputy First Ministers at Stormont were branded as “naive” today.

Green Party proposals to change the voting system for the election of First and Deputy First Ministers at Stormont were branded as “naïve” today.

As Greens on both sides of the border prepared to launch a paper in Belfast on the future of the Good Friday Agreement, Sinn Féin Assembly member Michael Ferguson claimed the party was showing a complete lack of understanding about the need for checks and balances at Stormont.

In a pre-emptive strike against the document, the West Belfast MLA rounded on Green leader Trevor Sargent for criticising the requirement for all Stormont Assembly members to designate themselves as “unionist”, “nationalist” or “other”.

Under current Assembly rules, the votes of non-unionist and non- nationalist MLAs do not count in the election of a First and Deputy First Minister who can only be elected if their joint bid secures a majority of unionist Assembly members as well as a majority of nationalists.

In November 2001, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble and nationalist SDLP leader Mark Durkan were elected First and Deputy First Minister at the second attempt.

Cross-community Alliance Party and Women’s Coalition MLAs were forced to temporarily redesignate as unionist and nationalist after Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan could not secure a majority of unionists at the first attempt.

Mr Sargent told PA News at the weekend: “I think it is a major flaw in the Agreement that some Assembly members are actually disenfranchised when it comes to electing key posts in the Stormont executive because they do not define themselves as nationalist or unionist.

“It is an unfair system which only entrenches divisions. The Greens believe everybody should be able to elect ministers.”

The Alliance Party has also been highly critical of the designation system, claiming it discriminates against some Assembly members.

Alliance leader David Ford has repeatedly warned the British government his party will not temporarily redesignate again.

However, Mr Ferguson claimed the Greens’ demands for a change to the system would undermine the checks and balances of any Assembly.

“Northern nationalists and republicans lived for decades under a system of institutionalised discrimination and sectarianism,” he insisted.

“We were treated as second-class citizens.

“There are many within the unionist political establishment who hark back to the days of domination. You only have to look at the unionist political participation in Orange parades to see evidence of that.

“The Green Party proposals are aimed directly at the very checks and balances which are designed to ensure that this is never allowed to happen again.

“They are at best naïve and display a complete lack of understanding of the northern nationalist and republican perspective and experience.”

Mr Sargent also confirmed that the joint submission of the Northern Ireland and Irish Republic’s Green Parties to the review of the Good Friday Agreement also calls for a repeal of the 1701 Act of Settlement which forbids a Catholic from ever becoming King or Queen in Britain.

The Dublin North TD claimed the Act was often used to justify sectarianism in Northern Ireland and he called on British Prime Minister Tony Blair to amend it.

Northern Ireland Green Party leader John Barry will launch the document with Mr Sargent in Belfast tomorrow.