The SDLP will emerge from the forthcoming elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly as the largest nationalist party, it claimed today.
Party leader Mr Mark Durkan insisted his party would outperform Sinn Féin in the November 26th poll and emerge with at least one Assembly member in each constituency. The party is running 36 candidates.
"We are going to come out of this election for the first time in history with an Assembly member in every one of the constituencies," he said. "And that's just for starters, that is going to be our baseline."
Mr Durkan claimed the people of Northern Ireland had become fed up with a soap opera of countless, fruitless meetings.
"In this election the people will see their way past the politics of false promise, false hope and false hype," he said. "People know there is nothing false in what the SDLP says or does. No spin, no stunts - only substance."
Mr Durkan said he party was also determined that the Belfast Agreement will be upheld.
"We know this is a tough election but our candidate team has the calibre and character to win. Many of them have been in much tougher fights than this," he added.
"Having put up with bomb blasts from paramilitaries, verbal blasts from other parties will be water off a duck's back for our candidates," Mr Durkan continued. "Having had threats daubed on the walls of their homes or posted on websites, they will worry very little about being written off by some ill-informed commentators.
"Some have had their cars burned out, but what cannot and will not be extinguished is their determination to serve their voters tirelessly, to serve the wider community fairly and to serve Ireland proudly.