AT the presentation of the Alliance Party's manifesto in Belfast yesterday, its leader said a vote for any of the minority parties is a "totally wasted vote" but denied that Alliance, given its poor showing in the forum election last May, was a minority party.
Lord Alderdice said a vote for Alliance is a vote for change and suggested that the electorate was not happy after having voted for the traditional parties in the forum elections. He told voters: "If you vote in that way again you are going to get a worsening situation."
If people wanted to go back to violence and have no prospect of an agreement, he told them to vote as they did last time.
"If they vote for the Alliance Party they know they are voting for hope.
"When people have voted for the traditional parties it has been a disaster," said Lord Alderdice.
Echoing the words of peace talks chairman, Senator George Mitchell, the manifesto, Agenda for Change, demands: "Stop the intransigence. Stop the violence."
"These last three years have been a period of wasted opportunity and lost optimism. We have seen the IRA cynically abandon their ceasefire and relaunch a campaign of violence, as vicious as it is futile.
"We have seen the loyalist cease fire slip away. We have seen an elaborate and internationally supported talks process run, into the sand in the face of continued obstruction, intransigence and delay from politicians who seem frightened of seeking a solution," the manifesto said.
"We have seen bitter confrontation over marches lead to widespread, destruction, and a deepening of community division and fears. The Northern Ireland community has never been more divided or more frightened. We cannot go on like this," it added.
Lord Alderdice, hitting out at the other party leaders, said: "A vote for Paisley or McCartney is a vote for division and conflict. A vote for Trimble is a vote for farther confrontation at Drumcree and obstruction in the talks.
"A vote for Adams is a vote for a strategy of talking peace while making war. A vote for Hume is a vote for a sadly failed strategy of putting agreement with Sinn Fein above agreement with other parties.
The manifesto led off with the rule of law, and Lord Alderdice emphasised the importance Alliance was giving to this issue. He said the reason the party had put this issue first was that Northern Ireland was "a long way back from the issue of constitutional development, political progress and talks getting somewhere".
"We are at the point when the whole fundamental rule of law has been challenged and is in disarray, I think we are in a very dangerous situation in Northern Ireland at present symbolised by the appalling burning of churches and other places that represent tradition and culture," he said.
The manifesto also dealt with education, focusing on integrated education and training for work. It also covered health care, calling for equity of access to the National Health Service based on patient need.
A section on the economy stated that peace and political stability were prerequisites for optimum economic development. Dealing with agriculture, Alliance was critical of the British government's handling of the BSE crisis and called for a wider rural development policy.
Other issues touched on in the manifesto included energy, transport and the environment housing, women's issues and children and young people.