Statement by TUV East Londonderry candidate Jordan Armstrong:
“The first official act of MLAs in the new Assembly after signing the membership role will be to elect a Speaker.
“In January 2015 the votes of DUP MLAs shamefully helped elect Mitchel McLaughlin to the post. The same Mitchel McLaughlin who told the general public that that most cruel of crimes, the kidnapping, murder and secret burial of mother of 10 Jean McConville was not a crime.
“In order to walk into the Assembly chamber MLAs will have to pass a memorial to Sir Norman Stronge, a Speaker of the old Stormont Parliament.
“Why is there a memorial to Sir Norman? Because in 1981, at the age of 86, he and his son, Sir James, were murdered in their home by members of the IRA. The home was burned to the ground and the bodies of both father and son were discovered in the library of their blazing home. Both had been shot in the head.
“One Unionist party in particular is claiming that the electorate has to vote for them to “keep Sinn Fein out”.
“What they have not said to date is wether they will use positions earned off the back of such a campaign to elect a Sinn Fein/IRA MLA as Speaker. A position an IRA victim once held. Will this be their very first act as newly elected members?
“Once in his position of course McLaughlin attempted to use it to unilaterally remove the National Anthem from the Act of Remembrance at Stormont, an attempt which would have succeeded had it not been for the presence of TUV.
“For our part we are clear. No TUV MLA will vote for a Sinn Fein/ IRA Speaker.
“Shamefully, DUP MLAs trooped through the lobbies to elevate Mitchel McLaughlin to the post of Speaker. Why? Will they elect another member of Sinn Fein/IRA to replace him?
“Where do the UUP stand on this issue?
“With TUV you know where you stand. It’s about time other spelt out their position.”