Alliance working to end designations

12.00.00am GMT Tue 11th Nov 2003

East Antrim election candidate Stewart Dickson has said that Alliance will be going into the Comprehensive Review of the Agreement to end institutionalised sectarianism.

Mr Dickson stated: "It is two years ago this week that three Alliance Assembly members temporarily redesignated in order to save the Agreement. The other parties have refused to deal with sectarianism in the Assembly ever since, so Alliance is still on a mission to destroy designations.

"Sectarian designations were the brainchild of the SDLP, which claims to want a crackdown on sectarianism. How they intend to crack down on themselves is anyone's guess, but the system has already proved to be unworkable and needs fixed in this review.

"Designations mean that the Assembly cannot operate properly as a democratic institution. Although the SDLP intended the system to protect the nationalist minority, what it resulted in was a veto for another minority - anti-Agreement unionists.

"Alliance will work to ensure that a fair, non-sectarian system such as a weighted majority, is introduced. The SDLP may not recognise it, but Sectarian Designations' Leave Parliamentarians stuck in the tribal past."