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Sinn Féin and DUP set to dominate Northern Ireland assembly Sinn Féin and DUP set to dominate Northern Ireland assembly
(about 9 hours 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. Sinn Féin, the Irish republican party, has made major gains over the Democratic Unionist party in a snap election, leaving the two blocs poised to begin new power-sharing negotiation’s in Northern Ireland’s devolved assembly.
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%. The make-up of the elected chamber has been significantly altered as Sinn Féin made major gains over the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in a snap vote called after the collapse of the last government.
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. Having entered the election 10 seats ahead of Sinn Féin, the DUP’s advantage was slashed to a solitary seat as the republican party’s support surged.
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 Ulster Unionist leader, Mike Nesbitt, announced his resignation after a poor showing, while the DUP leader and former first minister, Arlene Foster, will face intense scrutiny after her party fell below the threshold to trigger a Stormont veto mechanism.
The biggest losers in the contest are the two main opposition parties: the Ulster Unionists and the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour party. The last power-sharing government collapsed when Foster, refused to step aside during a public inquiry into the scandal. After a tense day of counting in Omagh, Co Tyrone, Foster was returned to Stormont on Friday night.
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 nationalist SDLP also fared better than many expected, replacing the UUP as the third largest party in the aAssembly. The election attracted a high turnout of almost 65%.
Sinn Féin’s northern leader, Michelle O’Neill, said: “I think it’s a brilliant day for equality, I think it’s a great day for democracy.
“The vote has increased. I think that is because people knew that action needed to be taken, they have had their say, we now need to get down to the business of fixing what’s wrong and delivering for all citizens.”
The results mean 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.
If that deadline passes, the government would be obliged to call yet another snap election, but it may instead opt to put Stormont in cold storage and reintroduce direct rule.
The DUP emerged with 28 seats, Sinn Féin had 27, SDLP 12, the UUP 10, the Alliance party eight, the Greens two, People Before Profit one, the Traditional Unionist Voice one and one independent unionist.
That leaves 40 unionists and 39 nationalist/republicans, with the remainder of the 90 MLAs affiliated to neither tradition.
Nesbitt has said he will remain as UUP leader until a successor is found.
He said it had been an “absolute honour” to lead the party. “In pure terms, the buck stops here,” he said.
He said his real regret was that Northern Ireland society appeared to have emerged from the election more polarised. Nesbitt said the electorate had rejected his hope for a post-sectarian vote.
“We will get there,” he said. “Some day Northern Ireland will vote as a normal democracy. We will vote in a post-sectarian election, but it’s now clear it will not happen during the duration of my political career.”
At least Nesbitt won his assembly seat; other high-profile MLAs were not so fortunate.
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 when DUP leader and first minister, Arlene Foster, refused to step aside during a public inquiry into the scandal. After a tense day of counting in Omagh, Co Tyrone, Foster was returned to Stormont on Friday night.
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. Adams appeared to adopt a hardline stance 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, 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.”
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.
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.