The DUP is two-faced and does not have the guts to tell the electorate what it plans to do after the election, Sir Reg Empey claimed last night. Dan Keenan, Northern News Editor, reports.
The Ulster Unionist leader cited Thursday's claim by the Rev Ian Paisley that the DUP would opt for the finance portfolio in a share-out of ministerial positions in order to see off the threat of water charges.
However, Sir Reg said that this meant the DUP would leave wide open the possibility that Sinn Féin would reclaim the education department which it held prior to suspension in 2002.
Unionists remain vociferously opposed to Mr McGuinness's decision to scrap the controversial 11-plus transfer test and to abolish academic selection.
"The simple outworking of the DUP's decision to take finance is that by voting DUP unionists could be voting Sinn Féin into the education ministry," Sir Reg claimed.
"Not only do we have the utterly two-faced approach of the DUP in saying that they will take the ministry of finance to tackle water charges while still point-blank refusing to say whether they will go into government on March 26th but now, after all their abuse and mock incredulity over the last few years about Sinn Féin being in charge of education, their actions could allow Gerry Kelly or Barry McElduff to take the portfolio," he added.
The DUP did not respond but insisted it was the only unionist party capable of preventing Sinn Féin from becoming the largest party and claiming the first minister's position.
It is expected that the party will argue over the remaining days before Wednesday's election that unionists must not give into apathy and stay at home.
The finance department was run by two SDLP ministers, Dr SeáFarren and Mark Durkan, prior to suspension.
The Green Party claimed yesterday that the British Exchequer "ran rings" around the Stormont department and prepared the way for water charges, a key voter issue on the doorsteps.
In a statement the party claimed: "The truth is a little more damaging for all the parties represented on the old executive. In truth, the flood gates - that led to water charges - were opened after the executive agreed the Reform and Re-investment package. Ministers should have spotted Gordon Brown's quid pro quo." The electorate firmly believes that Assembly pay and allowances should be stopped by Northern Secretary Peter Hain if there is a failure to agree a powersharing executive.
A Belfast Telegraph Ipsos Mori poll found that three-quarters of respondents favoured punitive action if the deadline of March 26th for agreement is broken.
Robert McCartney's UK Unionist Party criticised the poll yesterday as "wholly misleading" and claimed that the undecided were ignored.
The Greens and the SDLP have been buoyed by the poll findings.
SDLP deputy leader Alasdair McDonnell was accompanied yesterday by Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey at an event to promote the party's cross-Border agenda.
"The South's output is now 21 per cent higher than the North's," Dr McDonnell said.
"While our economy chugs along - and in some places slumps - the South's surges ahead . . . We see it as soon as we cross the Border in all the industry and jobs outside Dundalk."