Letter: It may not be a perfect system but, like it or not, power sharing is unionism’s last line of defence
A letter from Andrew Charles:
I respond to a letter by Johnny Andrews in the paper (Absolutely nothing to fear from a maturing of politics, February 19).
Mr Andrews is wrong. Changing the rules about how the Northern Ireland Executive is formed is about ditching D’hondt and consociationalism.
Like it or not consociationalism, or power sharing, is unionism’s last line of defence.
It may not be a perfect system but it’s job is to protect minorities or established groupings, in this case unionism and nationalism.
Moving the chairs at Stormont is all about suiting the political needs and demands of some.
Northern Ireland is still a deeply divided society and consociationalism is the best means of managing it.
Like it or not, if the assembly was to move to a Westminster-style system, unionists would be frozen out of government.
Dr Andrew D Charles, Belfast BT9