NI parties vie for ascendancy
David Trimble’s Ulster Unionist Party is reportedly ahead of close rival Dr Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists, according to an exit poll.
The poll also found that Sinn Fein was running close with the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).
The DUP is vying to replace the UUP as the largest unionist party in Northern Ireland and Sinn Fein is aiming to supplant the SDLP as the major nationalist party.
Elections to the 108-member Northern Ireland Assembly started yesterday. The result will determine the formation of the new power-sharing executive.
The devolved administration was suspended a year ago amid allegations of IRA intelligence gathering at Stormont.
Counting will begin this morning, will psephologists forecasting a close run race between all four major political parties across the province’s 18 constituencies. The election was organised under the single transferable vote (STV) system of proportional representation.
Final results are not expected until Friday night.
Worryingly for the Ulster Unionists, the turnout was reportedly down in some UUP constituencies.
The exit poll on behalf of RTE, the Irish broadcaster, garnered the views of voters at 90 of Northern Ireland’s polling stations.
Speaking after the polls closed, the Sinn Fein president, Gerry Adams, said: “I am encouraged by the turnout and happy that our increased vote will see the party emerge as the largest nationalist party in the Assembly.”
The DUP said it would refuse to embrace a power-sharing government and would seek a fundamental renegotiation of the Good Friday Agreement.
