Sinn Féin’s candidate for the Northern Ireland elections, Michelle O’Neill. /
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which has won elections to the Belfast Assembly since 2003, will be second
Sinn Féin, a party historically associated with the IRA terrorist group, will be the first nationalist and Catholic culture party to win an election in the history of Northern Ireland, according to projections from the partial recount of votes in Thursday’s regional elections. The distribution of the 90 seats will continue this Saturday.
BBC electoral analysts predicted that the Republicans will obtain their historical maximum, some 250,000 votes, around 28% of the total. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which has won Belfast Assembly elections since 2003, will be second. The Alliance (AP), which does not define itself as nationalist or unionist, and the radical Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), have increased the number of votes.
Sinn Féin’s victory would propel its regional leader, Michelle O’Neill, to the position of Chief Minister, but DUP leaders have ruled out taking the position of Deputy Chief Minister, as long as border controls between Great Britain are not radically changed. Brittany and the province, agreed in the British Withdrawal Agreement from the European Union. Without that symmetry there is no government.
The leader of the DUP, Jeffrey Donaldson, said after his loose election in Lagan Valley, that he will speak in London with the minister for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, next week, to learn about the government’s plans. Donaldson is a deputy in the Westminster Parliament and did not promise to give up his seat in London in the coming days to occupy the one in Belfast.
Sinn Féin’s low-key and focused strategy is praised. They have also added voters from the moderate nationalist party, SDLP, who would have wanted to prop up a nationalist in the position of Chief Minister. It is a partly symbolic pre-eminence, because Donaldson would have the same powers and the obligation to make decisions together. These elections can also be symbolic, because they are unlikely to lead to the formation of an autonomous government.