Cllr Máire Hendron said: “The DUP are trying to deflect attention away from the fact that they were the party that pressed for the introduction of the D’Hondt system at the Council last year. They are kicking up an almighty fuss to try to hide their own embarrassment following the out-working of a process which they supported.
“The DUP thought they would emerge as the largest party on the Council after the elections and supported D’Hondt as they thought they would benefit from it. The electorate decided otherwise, and now they are clearly struggling to accept the consequences of their own actions.
“Their desperate tactics in trying to form a sectarian pact with the UUP has also exposed the cynicism of their attempts at Stormont to reinvent themselves as a party of a shared society. The DUP in Belfast need to make up their mind whether they are really moving forward or simply stuck in reverse.
“People have also now seen that voting for UUP as an alternative is pointless, as once elected, they simply prop up the DUP in councils like Belfast and Castlereagh.
“Alliance has and will continue to respect the mandates of all parties at the Council, and we have never sought to hide behind any mechanism in doing so. The DUP and UUP need to learn to do the same.
“We need co-operation and good relations at City Hall, instead of some parties acting out the politics of the past. Alliance will continue to hold every party to account so that we move forward to help deliver the shared future that Northern Ireland needs.
“We hope that the new Lord Mayor will make building community relations their top priority and I called on him to commit to working closely with all parties for the good of everyone in the city.”
ENDS