The Irish and British governments were today urged to press the Democratic Unionists over their attitudes to power sharing in local councils and at Stormont.
SDLP deputy leader Dr Alasdair McDonnell and Sinn Féin chairman Mr Mitchel McLaughlin criticised the DUP after its councillors voted last night against power sharing in Castlereagh Council, where their deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, is a member.
Noting the DUP and other unionist parties' rejection of an SDLP motion calling for the sharing of key posts on the council among parties, Dr McDonnell said: "Peter Robinson has made the DUP's position on power sharing very clear - they are opposed to it wherever they are in a position to cobble together a majority.
"The two governments now need to be just as clear with the DUP and ask them how they square this position with their acceptance of the fundamentals of the Good Friday Agreement at Leeds Castle.
"Power-sharing must be a fundamental by anyone's definition, but it can't be cherry-picked to suit any one party," Dr McDonnell said.
"Peter Robinson says Castlereagh doesn't need power-sharing because it is not divided.
"This will be news to nationalists in the district, who may not know that they have lived in a enclave of peace and prosperity for the last 30 years, but it seems that the DUP definition of a non-divided community is simply one with a unionist majority."
Ulster Unionist councillors and independent unionists last night backed a DUP amendment to a motion calling on the Reverend Ian Paisley's party to practise power sharing.
PA