SDLP leader Mr Mark Durkan today accusedanti-Agreement unionist Mr Robert McCartney of carrying out "a punishmentbleating" as they squared up to each other during canvassing for next month's Assembly elections.
Mr Durkan, who was in Bangor to support North Down candidate Mr Liam Logan in atarget seat for the party, said the SDLP was not going to be deterred by the UKUnionist leader or any other rival on the campaign trail.
"Neither Bob McCartney nor anyone else will put us off from campaigning onour unique platform as the only party that has lived up to the Agreement and thestrongest party to deliver the Agreement in full for all," he said.
"In fact the incident added to the good reception that I was alreadygetting.
"This isn't the first punishment bleating I've had from Bob McCartney. Whenthe Assembly was sitting, Bob used to share his thoughts with us very regularlyand at very considerable length."
After their confrontation on the campaign trail, UK Unionist leader RobertMcCartney accused Mr Durkan of using "smart alec" one-liners to avoidanswering the question he was putting.
Mr McCartney said: "After playing Cinderella, without a prince, to the UUPand Sinn Fein's ugly sisters, he wants inclusivity to be limited to thepro-Agreement parties.
"When challenged by me to state if he would support the presence ofanti-Agreement parties like the UK Unionist Party at meeting of theimplementation body from which it was excluded during the last review, he didnot answer.
"His reply now is that expected from the one who has lost the argument - -personal abuse."
Ulster Unionist negotiator Michael McGimpsey today said he was looking forwardto a "rant free" election after the DUP became the third party to have anelection broadcast.The South Belfast Assembly candidate said: "If the solo performance by (DUPMP) Nigel Dodds is anything to go by, we can look forward to a rant freeelection.
"For once and for the sake of the electorate. we may be able to have somesober and mature debate from the DUP on policy matters."What a change that will make from the bellicose and empty rhetoric that arethe hallmarks of the DUP.
"I hope they have at last got the message. Long may this continue."
PA