Voters 'can move process forward'

Mr Murphy praised the Electoral Office staff

The electorate in Northern Ireland can use their votes to move the political process forward, the secretary of state has said.

Paul Murphy urged everyone to play their part and exercise their democratic right to vote in the assembly election on 26 November.

He was speaking during a visit to the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland in Belfast on Tuesday.

"This is an important election for the future of Northern Ireland. I would encourage everyone entitled to vote to make full use of their democratic mandate," he said.

"The future of Northern Ireland will be shaped by the electorate. While no-one underestimates the political difficulties that exist, everyone can use their vote to move things forward.

"I would encourage people to be positive and contribute to the future by making the effort to turn out and vote."

'Lasting peace'

Mr Murphy praised the work of Chief Electoral Officer Denis Stanley and his staff, who he said played a vital role in ensuring democracy was effective.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness said his party had taken "real risks for peace".

The SDLP professes to be a moderate and inclusive party but it has sunk to an all-time low Fred Cobain UUP

Speaking at a news conference in Belfast, he said Sinn Fein had a strategy to bring about a lasting peace.

"Central to this strategy is the intense dialogue with unionists. Although in an embryonic stage it has already delivered progress and we intend to build on it following the elections," he said.

However, DUP leader Ian Paisley accused the Ulster Unionists of seeking "endorsement for a continued programme of appeasement".

"For unionist voters who face the prospect of Sinn Fein/IRA becoming the largest nationalist party in the assembly the choice is clear - do they want republicans faced by a UUP which has granted everything to Sinn Fein/IRA have demanded while destroying the foundations of unionism or do they want republicans faced by the DUP which will confront and resist their republican agenda while resolutely defending the Union?" he asked.

'Human rights'

The SDLP came under fire from the UUP over the issue of policing on Tuesday.

Ulster Unionist Policing Board member Fred Cobain said an SDLP newspaper advert about the police was "pure, naked sectarianism".

Contrary to what Fred Cobain claims, the Policing Board has decided to phase out the full-time reserve Alex Attwood SDLP

"The SDLP professes to be a moderate and inclusive party but it has sunk to an all-time low with an advertisement that claims to have ended the RUC, British symbols and Special Branch," said Mr Cobain.

"What the SDLP claim in this campaign is nonsense. As far as human rights abuses are concerned, the vast majority of policemen and women are decent, honest and thoroughly professional and to intimate that there is widespread institutionalised human rights abuse within the police service is outrageous."

However, SDLP policing spokesman Alex Attwood rejected the claims and said the advert highlighted the enormous changes to policing over the last two years and the SDLP's record in implementing Patten.

"Contrary to what Fred Cobain claims, the Policing Board has decided to phase out the full-time reserve. It will be gone by April 2006," he said.

"And even Fred Cobain implicitly admits that the old Special Branch is out and being replaced by new accountable intelligence structures. As the Oversight Commissioner, American Tom Constantine stated, these changes 'meet the best practice requirements of any police force in the world'."