THE Democratic Unionist Party has called for Sinn Fein to be banned from local council chambers in Northern Ireland.
The party's deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, said at the presentation of its local government manifesto yesterday: "We do not believe that the representatives of the murder gangs of the IRA should be allowed access to the democratic process."
Mr Nigel Dodds, the party secretary, criticised Tory MPs who described Sinn Fein's attempt to get rooms in parliament as an affront to democracy.
He said: "It is just as big an affront to democracy in Northern Ireland to have IRA/Sinn Fein having offices in the City Hall in Belfast with a Tricolour flying in it.
"It is just as big an affront to the people of Northern Ireland to have IRA/Sinn Fein able to walk in and out of our council chamber as it is to walk in and out of the Palace of Westminster."
The party leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, MP, accused the former Northern Ireland Minister, Mr Michael Ancram, of "hypocrisy". Referring to the Sinn Fein offices at Stormont, he said: "Over here he is giving them offices. In Westminster he is saying they shouldn't have offices."
Mr Robinson called for more powers for local councils. He said it was "unsatisfactory" that elected representatives were not given responsibilities but that instead areas of public policy such as planning, health, education and housing were controlled by quangos.
He called on other unionist parties to declare where they stood on including nationalists in the rotation of mayoralties and council chairs.
Mr Dodds also condemned what he alleged was "discrimination" in the allocation of funding from Europe to unionist areas.
The party, which is fielding 162 candidates in all 26 council areas, reiterated its opposition to Articles Two and Three of the Constitution.
Mr Dodds said the party was against cross Border schemes which "were politically motivated".
The DUP called for free transport for senior citizens and called on the new British government to legislate so that local councils could provide adequate services for the elderly.
Currently the Northern Ireland Office contributes 50 per cent to concession fares for pensioners, but the DUP has asked for 100 per cent.
Mr Robinson pointed out that the only way senior citizens in the North can get free transport is by travelling to the Republic.
In its manifesto the DUP declares: "The DUP is opposed to the promotion of the republican Sunday in Northern Ireland. Sunday is a special day for individuals and families and must be preserved as such."