THE SDLP is hoping the May 21st local government elections will swing the balance of power on Belfast City Council and remove unionist domination.
The party chairman, Mr Jonathan Stephenson, said this would be an even more "crucial" election than the Westminster poll, one in which he hopes the "fine balance of power" currently on the council will change to favour all Belfast citizens.
Mr Stephenson was launching the candidates for the forthcoming local election in Belfast at the constituency office of former SDLP MP, Dr Joe Hendron, on the Falls Road.
Belfast councillor, Mr Alex Attwood, said the issue of tribal politics in Belfast was a key problem.
He spoke of the electorate choosing between the status quo of unionist control, or pushing for nationalist control. However, he said: "We are not interested in either option. The SDLP is interested in breaking unionist power on the council and ending tribal politics from whatever faction.
"We are the only party that can make that bridge between tribal politics that is Belfast City Council and the partnership politics that can become Belfast City Council. That is what this election is about.
"People on the ground will have to choose whether they vote tribally and all that that represents for this council, or whether they vote for a party that can broker a new deal and a new future for the city," he said.
Mr Attwood said unionist power wad "breaking down" and it was up to people to decide whether it is replaced with something similar or change it to something more representative.
The head of the SDLP group on the council, Mr Martin Morgan, said the history of Belfast council is "certainly not the most distinguished in terms of how it has represented the city and the conditions that exist within the city".
He said the SDLP had argued for many years for partnership between the political traditions on the council.