The DUP and Ulster Unionist Party swapped Hallowe'en insults as the battle for who should lead unionism after the Assembly elections continued relentlessly yesterday.
The DUP kicked off the Hallowe'en theme early yesterday when MP Mr Gregory Campbell described UUP Cunningham House headquarters as a "house of horrors" and warned that an election "victory for David Trimble will lead to a nightmare for Northern Ireland".
"Back on July 22nd, 2002, David Trimble said that Sinn Féin and the DUP emerging as the dominant parties after an Assembly election would be a 'nightmare scenario'. The real nightmare for Northern Ireland would be Sinn Féin and the UUP coming out the other side of an Assembly election as the two biggest parties," said Mr Campbell.
In an attempt to frighten unionists into voting DUP, he raised the spectre of what such an outcome would mean. "Under those circumstances, we would inevitably see David Trimble as first minister, assisted by either Gerry Adams or Martin McGuinness. Gerry Kelly, as policing and justice minister, could have a starring role.
"Scary scenes include an amnesty for on-the-run terrorists, the destruction of the Royal Irish Regiment, massive demilitarisation, an increased role for the Irish Republic in Northern Ireland's internal affairs and a permanent place for Sinn Féin/IRA in our government.
"The real nightmare for unionists is a Trimble win. David Trimble has failed to perform in his part as unionism's leading man. Each and every time he has given in to the demands of Sinn Féin/IRA and promoted the republican agenda. Thankfully for unionism, David Trimble's final scene is fast approaching."
Mr Dermot Nesbitt, a UUP candidate in South Down, sardonically queried how such a Christian party as the DUP could employ a metaphor relating to a pagan festival to make its point. "Ulster Unionist headquarters is not a house of horrors, it is a house of hope," he retorted.
The UUP, in contrast to the DUP, offered the prospect of a stable Northern Ireland, of a society at peace with itself within the UK, and of a society that "can look forward to the future and not backwards, the way the DUP looks", said Mr Nesbitt.
"We can deliver good government, and I hope that reasonable people will vote for a reasonable party, the Ulster Unionist Party."
Ms Bairbre de Brún, a Sinn Féin candidate in West Belfast, said she was bemused by the attempts of the main unionists parties to "scare" each other.
She said Sinn Féin was prepared to work with whatever unionists were elected after November 26th.
"We respect the electorate. We respect the right for them to vote for whoever they want to vote for. We are not into social engineering. There are other people who believe that you can't even have an election unless you can predict the outcome. That is not our way."
Meanwhile, the battle for the six seats in West Belfast has been stepped up. Sinn Féin hold four of the seats, and the SDLP two. The DUP and UUP, however, believe there is one unionist seat for the taking, with the result that two prominent unionists have decided to run in West Belfast: Shankill councillor, Mr Chris McGimpsey, a brother of former UUP minister Michael, and Ms Diane Dodds, wife of former DUP minister Nigel.
