Adams criticises northern visits from southern ministers
The Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams, has contrasted a recent visit made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to south Down, where he was photographed with the SDLP candidate, Eddie McGrady, with his absence from the Short Strand Catholic enclave when it was under attack from loyalists.
Mr Adams claimed that the protocol was always that, although Southern politicians visited the North to help political parties, mainly the SDLP, ministers did not do so.
He contrasted this with the recent visit by Dermot Ahern and that of Michael McDowell, who is due to attend an SDLP function in south Belfast tomorrow.
The SDLP said that both ministerial visits were pre-arranged before the election was announced and that Minister McDowell is attending as a party political representative not as a part of his ministerial duties.
Gerry Adams however has called Mr McDowell a racist and said his visit to the SDLP in Belfast tomorrow will help Sinn Féin's election campaign.
The SDLP said Mr McDowell is attending a series of pre-arranged meetings on Irish unity, totally unconnected to the election campaign.
