DUP leader Arlene Foster said she had been unfairly smeared as arrogant as Northern Ireland's parties began making their last pitches for support ahead of voting in the Assembly election on Thursday.
The leaders of the DUP, Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionist Party, the SDLP and Alliance urged support for their parties when they engaged in a final broadcast debate on the BBC on Tuesday.
This is a much more competitive election than previous Assembly contests as the number of seats has been reduced from 108 to 90. Each constituency now has five seats rather than six.
In last May’s election the DUP won 38 seats, Sinn Féin 28, the Ulster Unionist Party 16, the SDLP 12 and Alliance eight.
For much of the campaign the DUP and its leader have been fighting a rearguard battle due to the botched Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme which could result in an overspend of £490 million. It was introduced by Ms Foster in 2012 when she was minister for enterprise, trade and investment.
She was also accused of being “arrogant” over dismissive comments she made in rejecting calls for an Irish language Act, and of being disrespectful to her former main partner in the Northern Executive, Sinn Féin, and in her attitude to nationalism and nationalists in general.
Allegations
Ms Foster has rejected the claims. “It’s very easy to throw around smears and allegations and talk about other people’s characters. My goodness, I could talk about everybody else’s character. Where would that get us; that wouldn’t get us anywhere.
“Look at my record. Nationalism has absolutely nothing to fear in relation to the way in which I do my business. I work with everybody. I will try to help everybody if they need help.”
And while her opponents accused her of engaging in the “politics of fear”, Ms Foster held to her warning that if unionism did not turn out in force to support the DUP then Sinn Féin would be returned as the largest party, with party leader Michelle O’Neill entitled to the post of First Minister.
She was also criticised for focusing on Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, and warning that he, rather than Ms O'Neill, was dictating Sinn Féin policy in Northern Ireland.
"I am not going to apologise for the fact there's a huge threat to Northern Ireland," she said. "It's not just about the First Minister's office, it's about how we drive the agenda forward for Northern Ireland; it's a recognition that the majority of people in Northern Ireland want to stay in the United Kingdom.
“If we had a situation where Sinn Féin were the largest party all of that would be thrown up in the air, and we would get to a situation where they would be pressing the [British] government for a Border poll.”
Deflect attention
Mr Adams, who canvassed with Ms O’Neill in West
Belfast
on Tuesday, said Ms Foster and the DUP were trying to deflect attention from the RHI fiasco.
“I would like to think that unionists out there, people whose money went down the drain without any satisfactory explanation so far, will not be swept along by an attempt to make this an orange and green issue.”
Ms O’Neill added: “This election is not about orange and green issues or the politics of fear. It is about the future. It is about sending a clear message that we are not prepared to tolerate a massive financial scandal, which was created, controlled and covered up by the DUP. It is about accountability not arrogance.”
UUP leader Mike Nesbitt said Ms Foster was "attempting to strike fear into the hearts of unionists over the prospect of Gerry Adams being able to implement his vision from the First Minister's office – she knows this cannot happen".
“Unionism deserves better than being served up Project Fear every time an election is called. This is not a Border poll. This is about who can provide the best government, free from incompetence, arrogance and scandals.”
