The Democratic Unionist Party has been narrowly returned as the largest party but Sinn Féin was the biggest winner in the NI Assembly election. The party has come within a seat of drawing level with the DUP, which came into the election with 10 more seats.
Only 1,168 first preference votes separated the two parties and, for the first time, Unionists will not have an overall majority at Stormont. Amid the fallout, Mike Nesbitt said he would resign as Ulster Unionist leader.
The election was called after the collapse of a coalition led by Arlene Foster’s DUP and Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness. Sinn Féin and the DUP now have three weeks to establish a government: Under Northern Ireland’s power-sharing agreement, the government must be run by Irish nationalists and unionists together.
If a government cannot be formed within that time then, under law, another election will be called.
The DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson said it would be unfair to focus on “just one individual” when asked about the party’s loss of seats and Mrs Foster’s future as its leader. The party would have to “listen to the concerns expressed during the election”, but was focused on forming a government, he added.
Ultimately, if no power-sharing government is formed, devolved power could return to the UK parliament at Westminster for the first time in a decade. However, Theresa Villiers, a former Northern Ireland secretary of state, said that the UK government could legislate to give the DUP and Sinn Féin more time to negotiate or to introduce of direct rule. “Ultimately, if at the end of three weeks they haven’t [agreed], then legislation is one option to give them more time or to return to direct rule.” David Trimble, a former Ulster Unionist Party leader who also served as first minister of Northern Ireland, suggested the parties would need more time to reach an agreement. “If there isn’t an administration put in place then the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is on a legal obligation to dissolve the assembly and have another general election, which I doubt will get us anywhere.” Sinn Féin’s northern leader Michelle O’Neill said voters had responded positively to her party’s message of equality, integrity and respect. “Sinn Féin is ready to enter negotiations on those principles and we want to see those negotiations start as soon as possible,” she said.
