Sinn Féin Slammed Over 'Sectarian Leaflet'

Sinn Féin has been accused of producing a "sectarian leaflet" after it used figures for the number of Catholics in north Belfast to claim that represented the number of nationalists.

DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds is challenging the party to state whether it believes that voting intentions can be predicted from community background census returns.

Mr Dodds said: "When confronted about their use of census figures instead of any electoral evidence Caral Ni Chuilin made the ludicrous claim that the Electoral Commission prevented them from using the results of previous elections. Having been forced to apologise for that deliberate misinformation Sinn Fein should now publicly step back from their sectarian electioneering in North Belfast.

"Some Sinn Fein activists have publicly distanced themselves from this kind of campaigning. The question is whether the leadership of Sinn Fein will continue to endorse the kind of lazy sectarianism which concludes that someone’s voting preference can be assumed from their religious background. It is time that we heard something more than confused excuses from Caral Ni Chuilan. Does she believe that either your party political allegiance or your constitutional preference can be assessed purely by the community background designation on the census?

"If they do not believe this is an accurate guide, then we need to hear a clear explanation from Sinn Fein why they used the census figures? Michelle Gildernew may have told those gathered at her election launch that "Sinn Fein don’t do sectarianism" but the facts speak for themselves."

Alliance Councillor Nuala McAllister said: "This amounts to nothing more than trying to make the election a sectarian headcount rather than about the issues.

"The people of North Belfast will not be bullied into how they vote by these tactics designed to scaremonger by Sinn Fein - a move they clearly haven't learnt gets them no-where."

(CD/MH)