Sinn Fein hails 'new era' as party sweeps Northern Ireland Assembly elections

Sinn Fein, the Irish nationalist party, hailed a "new era" for Northern Ireland on Saturday after winning the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time in history. Sinn Fein won 27 of the Assembly's 90 seats with almost all ballots counted from Thursday's local election in the United Kingdom. The pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, which has ruled Northern Ireland's assembly for the past two decades, won 24 seats. With the triumph, Sinn Fein will be the first Irish nationalist party to hold the position of the first minister in Belfast since Northern Ireland was established as a Protestant-majority state in 1921, the Associated Press (AP) reported. 

Furthermore, the centrist Alliance Party, which does not identify as nationalist or unionist, witnessed a significant increase in support and won 17 seats in the election. Meanwhile, the triumph is a watershed moment for Sinn Fein, which has long been associated with the Irish Republican Army - a paramilitary group that reportedly used bombs and bullets to try to free Northern Ireland from British rule during decades of warfare. "Today ushers in a new era. Irrespective of religious, political or social backgrounds, my commitment is to make politics work," Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’Neill after the result. 

O'Neill also emphasised the need for Northern Ireland's divided politicians coming together next week to create an Executive - Northern Ireland's devolved government. As per reports, the administration will collapse if no new Executive can be formed within six months, resulting in a fresh election and further uncertainty. While Sinn Fein's victory marks a historic change in support for unionist parties, the future of Northern Ireland's intricate power-sharing politics and ongoing squabbles over post-Brexit arrangements remains unclear.

Sinn Fein might press for referendum for Northern Ireland's unification

It is significant to mention here that Sinn Fein has always sought to dissolve Northern Ireland's ties to the United Kingdom and reunion with the Republic of Ireland. However, Sinn Fein's victory is unlikely to result in Northern Ireland's swift reunification with the Republic of Ireland. The party is widely expected to press for a referendum on the issue, allowing residents of Northern Ireland to vote on whether or not they want a union.

Notably, the UK government has the authority to convene a referendum under the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement. As per reports, a successful outcome cannot be drawn directly from the election results as only one-third of Northern Irish people want reunification, and only one-sixth believe it is a political priority.

(With inputs from AP)

Image: AP