SDLP seeks clarification before committing itself to elections

THE SDLP has said that no decision on whether to participate in the May 30th elections will be made until it has clarification of the role of the proposed Northern forum.

No decision would be forthcoming until the British government clearly spelled out what, if any, linkage there would be between the forum and the negotiating process, a party spokeswoman said.

The SDLP has signalled that it might boycott the forum, but that it may yet contest the election. It has also been dismissive of Sinn Fein's call for a joint boycott of the elections.

The SDLP would make its own decisions on future strategy, said the party's deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon.

The SDLP leader, Mr John Home, said he expected the party council would meet during the next two weeks to decide its position on the election proposals. The party would have to know the ground rules for the election before it could respond, he added.

It was crucial that all the parties get to negotiations without preconditions, said Mr Hume last night. He added that he still viewed the election as a "sideshow". "All parties should be called to the table instead of going through the political and economic expense of an election," he said.

Mr Hume also took a jaundiced view of the DUP's suggestion that it might strategically "split" into three parties in order to maximise its seats on the forum and to potentially prevent the loyalist parties from winning any of the "top up" seats in the election.