BALLYMENA Sinn Fein councillor, Monica Digney has revealed the 'comfort' which she has drawn from the DUP condemnation of the death-threat issued to her last week.
The republican representative contrasted the Unionist response, with the silence she says she has received from her SDLP council colleagues.
As Cllr. Digney prepared for Monday night's monthly meeting of Council, her first meeting since the chilli
ng warning, she spoke to the Times about her appreciation of the DUP statements which were made in the media in the wake of the threat.
"When I read the statements by the Deputy Mayor, Maurice Mills, and young Cllr. Paul Frew, I was comforted. I know that what they did was the right thing to do, and I am glad that they came out and said what they did.
"To come out and publicly condemn this is a nice touch from these councillors, and it meant a great deal to me. They have sent out the right message.
"I have to say though, that I was disappointed that no-one from the SDLP came out and condemned this, or even contacted me. I know that I would have contacted any Councillor to show my support."
In a statement last week, Cllr. Digney said she had taken the threat seriously and called for solidarity from her council colleagues.
She said: "I have been made aware of a postcard which was delivered to the Ballymena Borough Council offices carrying a threat to my life.
"I take all such threats extremely seriously given that Ballymena has been a hotbed of sectarianism and loyalist thuggery over the years, and more recently with the brutal sectarian murder of young Michael McIlveen.
"I call upon my colleagues in Ballymena Council to stand with me and face down the threats which have been made. I am very proud to have been the first Sinn Féin Councillor elected to Ballymena Council and will not allow this death threat to hinder me from the work I have been elected to do.
"Sinn Féin elected representatives have never allowed threats or intimidation to prevent us from highlighting inequality or discrimination and pressing ahead with our vision of a united and independent country."
This latest threat comes just weeks after a member of the public came into the Council chamber and verbally threatened the Sinn Fein representative.
Alliance Party, Ballymena Representative, Jayne Dunlop, added her voice to the condemnation: "I condemn this despicable threat. Death threats have no place in any society that seeks to uphold the rule of law. Politicians should be able to carry out their daily work without feeling threatened in any way. I appeal to anyone with information on the source of the death threat to contact police immediately."
