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| Sinn Féin and DUP set to dominate Northern Ireland assembly | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Sinn Féin is neck-and-neck with the Democratic Unionists in the race to become the biggest force in the next Northern Ireland assembly, although the pro-union party is still expected to emerge marginally on top. | |
| With about a quarter of seats filled on Friday evening, the DUP was still slightly ahead of Sinn Féin with 28.08% of the first preference vote compared with the republican party’s increased share of 27.9%. The election has attracted a high turnout of almost 65%. | With about a quarter of seats filled on Friday evening, the DUP was still slightly ahead of Sinn Féin with 28.08% of the first preference vote compared with the republican party’s increased share of 27.9%. The election has attracted a high turnout of almost 65%. |
| Sinn Féin, however, has more members elected to the regional parliament so far, although the DUP will pick up more seats overnight and on Saturday. | Sinn Féin, however, has more members elected to the regional parliament so far, although the DUP will pick up more seats overnight and on Saturday. |
| This means that the DUP and Sinn Féin will once again lead the negotiations aimed at creating a new power-sharing government in Belfast when they take place on Monday. However, the prospect of the parties reaching agreement in the three-week timeframe imposed by the Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, appears remote. | This means that the DUP and Sinn Féin will once again lead the negotiations aimed at creating a new power-sharing government in Belfast when they take place on Monday. However, the prospect of the parties reaching agreement in the three-week timeframe imposed by the Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, appears remote. |
| The biggest losers in the contest are the two main opposition parties: the Ulster Unionists and the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour party. | |
| On Friday night the Ulster Unionist leader, Mike Nesbitt, resigned after his party failed to increase its share of the vote despite scandals that have beset the rival DUP. “The buck stops here,” Nesbitt, a former television presenter, said. | |
| The loss of former minister Danny Kennedy’s seat in the Newry and Armagh border constituency symbolised the demise of the Ulster Unionists. Despite public anger at the DUP, who were accused of mishandling and defending a botched green energy scheme, which has the potential to cost the taxpayer half a billion pounds, the larger unionist party easily beat off the challenge from the UUP. | The loss of former minister Danny Kennedy’s seat in the Newry and Armagh border constituency symbolised the demise of the Ulster Unionists. Despite public anger at the DUP, who were accused of mishandling and defending a botched green energy scheme, which has the potential to cost the taxpayer half a billion pounds, the larger unionist party easily beat off the challenge from the UUP. |
| The UUP’s Nesbitt said he would remain as leader until a successor was found. | |
| The SDLP, the party born out of the Northern Ireland civil rights movement at the end of the 1960s, suffered their worst-ever result, with an estimated 11% share of the vote. The party’s decline was highlighted by the loss of Alex Atwood’s seat in West Belfast. It will be the first time the SDLP will have no representation in the nationalist constituency at Stormont since its foundation. | |
| The last power-sharing government collapsed afterwhen DUP leader and first minister, Arlene Foster, refused to step aside during a public inquiry into the scandal. | The last power-sharing government collapsed afterwhen DUP leader and first minister, Arlene Foster, refused to step aside during a public inquiry into the scandal. |
| Arriving at the Titanic Exhibition Centre where all four Belfast constituencies were being counted, the Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, paid tribute to retired deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, who left the post due to ill health. | Arriving at the Titanic Exhibition Centre where all four Belfast constituencies were being counted, the Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, paid tribute to retired deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, who left the post due to ill health. |
| After referring to the party’s increased share of the vote as a “big thank you to Martin McGuinness and his family”, Adams said there would be “no return to the status quo” after the election. | After referring to the party’s increased share of the vote as a “big thank you to Martin McGuinness and his family”, Adams said there would be “no return to the status quo” after the election. |
| Adams appeared to adopt a hardline over Foster, insisting that the DUP should nominate someone else as either the first or deputy first minister. | |
| But the DUP MP for East Antrim, Sammy Wilson, said it was up to “the DUP and the DUP alone” to pick its choice as first minister should the party remain the main force in the new Stormont parliament. | But the DUP MP for East Antrim, Sammy Wilson, said it was up to “the DUP and the DUP alone” to pick its choice as first minister should the party remain the main force in the new Stormont parliament. |
| Sinn Féin’s new leader, Michelle O’Neill, who replaced McGuinness, topped the poll in her Mid Ulster constituency with 10,258 first preference votes. After her election, O’Neill said the will was still there to rebuild a power-sharing coalition with unionists. | |
| O’Neill said: “If people are serious about making the institutions work; if people are genuine about power sharing, about equality and respect, then whilst we have a difficult period ahead in the next few weeks, there is nothing that is unachievable if you have the right attitude.” | O’Neill said: “If people are serious about making the institutions work; if people are genuine about power sharing, about equality and respect, then whilst we have a difficult period ahead in the next few weeks, there is nothing that is unachievable if you have the right attitude.” |
| The cross-community Alliance party is on course to secure 8% of the vote and the return of all of its eight seats from the last assembly. | The cross-community Alliance party is on course to secure 8% of the vote and the return of all of its eight seats from the last assembly. |
| Five assembly members are elected to each of the 18 parliamentary constituencies across Northern Ireland in an election using the single transferable vote system of proportional representation where voters can give number 1 to their most preferred candidate and then transfer down the ballot paper by voting 2, 3, 4, 5 etc for other candidates. | |
| The STV system means counts across eight counting centres will be protracted and drawn out, with the final results not expected until mid-Saturday afternoon. | The STV system means counts across eight counting centres will be protracted and drawn out, with the final results not expected until mid-Saturday afternoon. |
| On Monday, Brokenshire will give the parties three weeks to form a new regional government. After that period, he has two choices: he can advise the parties to call another election or temporarily impose direct rule from London while the local politicians try to piece together a new administration in Belfast. | On Monday, Brokenshire will give the parties three weeks to form a new regional government. After that period, he has two choices: he can advise the parties to call another election or temporarily impose direct rule from London while the local politicians try to piece together a new administration in Belfast. |