Sinn Fein and the SDLP have clashed over the moderate Nationalist party's call for the scrapping of mandatory power-sharing arrangements at Stormont.

Last weekend SDLP leader Mark Durkan said the time was fast approaching when political safeguards introduced as part of the Good Friday Agreement to protect Nationalists in government with Unionists at Stormont should be removed.

Throughout the Troubles the SDLP was a vocal supporter for the need to establish power-sharing arrangements at Stormont to prevent Unionist domination in government.

Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement power-sharing government at Stormont require politicians to designate as Unionist, Nationalist or other, with ministerial posts shared out under the d'Hondt system.

The system also requires there to be Unionist and Nationalist support for legislation before it can become law.

But Durkan says he believes it is now time for the Stormont Assembly to operate on the same majority voting system as Westminster and Dail (Irish) parliaments.

The SDLP leader says that the system has now grown outdated and needs to be changed. "We need to reflect on the dangers of the decision-making protections acting as decision making prevention on more and more important issues," he said.

Hinting at the possibility that Unionist and Nationalist moderates in the SDLP and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) could unite in government, he said, "The possibilities for political realignment with new or changing party offerings in the future could be stunted by permanent reliance to the present degree on designation.

"If we are serious about a truly shared future then we have to allow for truly shared politics where parties can - and have to - appeal across the traditional divides."

However, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams criticized the call for the dropping of the legislative safeguards, claiming the SDLP leader's comments were "ill-considered and irresponsible."

"What is being proposed by the SDLP leader is the abandonment of the principles of the Good Friday Agreement and the principles of equality, and of partnership government, and the protections these provide for citizens," he said.

"Many Nationalists will be deeply troubled by these ill considered and irresponsible comments which would effectively accept a return to Unionist majority rule."