Sinn Fin before election victory: The “new era” for Northern Ireland?

After the election for the regional parliament, Northern Ireland is heading towards a historic conclusion: for the first time, the Catholic-Republican party Sinn Fin is likely to become a strong force. This would mean major changes in Northern Ireland.

Signs of a historic victory for the Catholic Republican Sinn Fein are mounting after a majority vote in the Northern Ireland regional parliamentary election. According to preliminary results, the party won 18 of the 56 seats up for grabs. The Protestant Unionist TUP (Democratic Unionist Party) has 17 MPs so far. There are a total of 90 seats in the regional parliament in Belfast. The final results were expected to be released on Saturday.

Sin Fein celebrates

By noon, Sinn-Fein’s leading candidate Michelle O’Neill was already confident of victory. With the clatter of flash bulbs and the thunderous applause of his party colleagues, he celebrated the announcement of the results in his constituency of Mid-Ulster in the city of Maghrefeld. “Today is the most important day of change,” O’Neill said. “Today marks the beginning of a new era that offers the opportunity to redefine relationships in society on the basis of justice, equal treatment and social justice, regardless of social background.”

The pro-British DUP conceded defeat. “Now it looks like Sinn Fin is emerging as a strong party (since the election),” DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson told Sky News.

Sinn Fin is determined to hold a referendum on the reunification of British Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland, which the DUP explicitly opposes. However, during the regional election campaign, Sinn Fein re-ignited the issue. It said Sinn Fீன்in had not “stabilized” on a specific date for such a referendum. Instead, he focused on social issues such as rising living costs and other issues affecting local people.

It is possible to block DUP

As Sinn Fin has hoped, it will be difficult to form a government if he wins a majority in the Northern Ireland Assembly and has the right to nominate a future Prime Minister (First Minister).

According to the 1998 peace treaty known as the Good Friday Pact, the major parties of the two religions must agree to work together in a united government. However, the DUP, the largest Protestant union party, has already announced that it does not want to join the government in protest of Northern Ireland’s special Brexit status. Since the founding of the British province of Northern Ireland 100 years ago, the trade unionist parties have always led the government. Sinn Fin candidate O’Neill called on other parties to work together to form a government.

The new regional parliament will convene next week. They have six months to appoint the government. If it does not win, new elections will come.