District councils across Northern Ireland must share power, the SDLP insisted today.
The party's equality spokesperson Ms Patricia Lewsley said authorities which do not promote good community relations between nationalists and unionists must be brought to book.
Ms Lewsley, a Lisburn councillor, met with the Community Relations Council today in the wake of the deferral of a Sinn Féin motion calling for power-sharing in her Co Antrim council last night.
Four Sinn Féin, three SDLP and three Alliance councillors serve alongside 12 Ulster Unionist, five Democratic Unionist and two independent unionist councillors on the Lisburn authority.
But unionists serve as the mayor and deputy mayor, as well as the chair and vice-chairs of the five main council committees.
Ms Lewsley said she told the Community Relations Council that authorities like Lisburn should not be allowed to get away with this.
"We called for a much tougher approach to district councils that do not work to improve community relations," she said.
"We don't see why councils like Lisburn that don't even share powers should be able to get away with it.
"If we are serious about people sharing society, then as a basic first step councils must share power.
"The SDLP wants to ensure that every district council is brought to book and made to promote good relations and power-sharing."
Sinn Féin has vowed to seek legal action in a bid to challenge Lisburn council's decision to exclude nationalists from all senior positions.
The party said its solicitors were exploring the possibility of seeking a judicial review of the decision taken at last month's Annual General Meeting of the council.
Ms Lewsley also urged the Community Relations Council, government departments and the police to do more to take down paramilitary flags.
"People are sick, sore and tired of having their neighbourhoods covered in sectarian and paramilitary flags," she said.
"It is long past time that we got all the flags down and let people decide for themselves their own identity.
"The SDLP wants to make it a crime to erect flags on public property.
"We are also calling for equality and parity of esteem in the policies of government and councils on flags. That must mean an end to the flying of the Union Flag alone on government buildings and at council offices."