DESCRIBING itself variously as a "co ordinated pro active front", "a new political force" and "a partnership, not a party", the group called Democratic Partnership yesterday launched the election campaign of its 18 candidates in nine constituencies.
The group is backed by many former members of the Peace People, and joint Nobel Peace Prize winner, Ms Mairead Maguire, yesterday endorsed Democratic Partnership as a vision of a new Northern Ireland society. She appealed to young people - and especially young women - to become active in politics.
Democratic Partnership was formed only after the election was announced, and for the moment the group's lifespan is tailored to this election alone.
Nonetheless, it has produced professional looking literature, and at a press conference in Belfast's MGM cinema complex yesterday, it screened a slick promotional video ridiculing the North's old political divisions and advocating its alternative vision of co operation, mutual respect and trust.
The party (or group, or "front") is seeking to harness the mood of the "silent majority" who have become disillusioned with old political divisions "which play on people's fears for their own one sided gain".
On the constitutional issue, Democratic Partnership says it recognises and supports the opinion poll research findings that the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland want to have a government that remains within the United Kingdom, "while establishing a meaningful and mature political relationship with the Republic of Ireland".
The group's candidate in East Belfast, Mr David Bleakley, who was minister of community relations in the Northern Ireland parliament in 1971, asserted yesterday: "Here in Northern Ireland the miracle is coming: we're beginning to know deep down that we need one another."
The candidate in East Ant rim, Ms Maureen Sykes, said that for too long politicians had ignored the position of women in society. "Women must work together, in equal partnership with men, to create political structures at all levels of our society," she said.
Asked who was the leader of the group, another member replied: "We're not dominated by any monolithic leadership. We work as a partnership. The motivation of the partnership is about service, not about power.
Mr Paul Smyth the Democratic Partnership candidate in South Belfast, said that the would work for political structures organised at regional, district and community levels. They would promote a Bill of Rights to ensure people's freedoms of expression and lifestyle, and the courts and police must become transparent in their workings and accountable in their decision making.
An environmental programme would be developed to ensure that Northern Ireland remained a "green and pleasant land" and initiatives to reduce conflicts of identity in symbols and institutions would be supported.
The Democratic Partnership believes a restoration of the IRMA ceasefire is necessary, but will continue to be willing to talk to Sinn Fein or anyone else without preconditions.