DUP should condemn attack on SF member outright: Dunlop

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 19th May 2004

ALLIANCE'S North Antrim representative Jayne Dunlop has criticised a DUP Assembly member for expressing disbelief in Sinn Féin's attribution of blame to loyalist paramilitaries for leaving a pipe bomb at the home of an SF activist in Ballymena.

Ms Dunlop said:

"This is a disgraceful comment from a public representative. No one is asking Mr Storey or the DUP to endorse any of Sinn Fein's politics.

"But if they DUP is a democratic party that espouses non-violence, then they should have the confidence and integrity to condemn an attack on a member of any political party.

"There is absolutely no evidence to back up Mr Storey's claims.

"Condemning the attack does not mean that you are agreeing with or giving any credibility to the man's politics.

"If we are to move this society forward then we do need all parties to adhere to the same basic common standards."

Previously, North Antrim MLA Mervyn Storey questioned the source of an attack on a Sinn Fein activist in Ballymena. Mr Storey said:

"Given the fact that Sinn Fein IRA will not come clean about their links with the Provo's no-one really believes anything they say when incidents like this occur. After all we still don't know who was responsible for a videocassette sent to Philip McGuigan last year. No doubt Sinn Fein/IRA would like to portray themselves as the victims just before the June elections in an attempt to convince the electorate that such attacks come about because of their strong defence on Irish nationalism."