Alliance Party confirms bid to save power-sharing deal
The Alliance Party has confirmed a number of its Assembly members will re-designate themselves as Unionists in a bid to save the Good Friday Agreement.
Party leader David Ford has confirmed the Ulster Unionists and nationalist SDLP will propose the re-designation of Alliance members.
This is a bid to elect first and deputy first ministers to the power-sharing executive.
Mr Ford said: "I think if there is any message which should go out, it is that the Alliance Party is working to save the Agreement.
"Any suggestion that we are seeking to do it for the sake of an individual is completely wrong."
The Alliance Party's move to re-designate some of its five MLAs from their non-aligned status to that of unionist will boost the chances of Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble and incoming SDLP leader Mark Durkan of becoming First and Deputy First ministers.
The Ulster Unionist leader and the incoming SDLP leader failed to be elected to the two top posts in the power-sharing government after two rebels in Mr Trimble's party opposed him.
Mr Ford would not confirm how many of his assembly team will re-designate.
He insists the Alliance is re-designating to "protect the integrity of the agreement".
But it remains a cross-community party.
