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WORLD NEWSSaturday 4 March 2017
Sinn Fein enjoys vote surge in Northern Ireland election
SHAWN POGATCHNIK Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill , right, is congratulated by party leader Gerry Adams and party mem- where the party’s new
Associated Press bers Orlaithi Flynn, 2nd right, and Mary Lou McDonald at the count centre in Belfast, Northern leader in Northern Ire-
DUBLIN (AP) — Sinn Fein en- Ireland, Friday, March 3, 2017. land, 40-year-old Michelle
joyed a potentially historic O’Neill, was mobbed by
surge in support Friday as (AP Photo/Peter Morrison) supporters.
ballots were counted for O’Neill, the daughter of
seats in the Northern Ire- power bases. that would give Sinn Fein from each of 18 districts in an Irish Republican Army
land Assembly, a contest veteran with childhood
triggered by the Irish na- Sinn Fein is seeking to over- the right to the top govern- descending order of popu- memories of the conflict
tionalist party in a bitter take the Protestants of the ment post of “first minister.” larity. that claimed 3,700 lives,
showdown with its long- Democratic Unionists and Under Northern Ireland’s The process requires several represents a leadership
time Protestant partners in become the No. 1 party complex system of propor- rounds of ballot recounting shift within Sinn Fein to the
government. first post-war generation
At stake in the outcome for the first time in Northern tional representation, five to transfer votes from con- following the IRA’s 1997
from Thursday’s snap elec- cease-fire and 2005 disar-
tion is the revival or demise Ireland — an achievement lawmakers will be elected firmed winners and losers mament.
of power-sharing between Friday’s final Northern Ire-
Irish Catholics and British land-wide total of first-pref-
Protestants, the central ob- erence votes — the core
jective of the U.S.-brokered measure of party popular-
Good Friday peace ac- ity — showed the Demo-
cord nearly two decades cratic Unionists narrowly
ago. on top with 28.1 percent,
Early partial results from a down 1 point from the last
ballot count expected to election 10 months ago.
run until Saturday after- Sinn Fein trailed with 27.9
noon pointed to solid gains percent, up 4 points, the
for Sinn Fein amid the high- narrowest sectarian gap in
est voter turnout since the Northern Ireland electoral
peace breakthrough year history.
of 1998. Turnout ran high- Many analysts forecast
est in Sinn Fein’s tradition- that the Democratic
al working-class Catholic Unionists will stay barely
ahead of Sinn Fein in seat
to those still in contention. numbers in the 90-member
Assembly when Saturday’s
Early results often cannot final winners are declared,
but it could come down to
pinpoint who might win the unpredictable handfuls of
final seat. transferred votes. q
Sinn Fein achieved poll-
topping results in nine dis-
tricts, including Mid-Ulster,
Greece seeks France’s help on
bailout, eyes 2017 bond ‘test’
DEREK GATOPOULOS Fund in the Greek rescue
ELENA BECATOROS program.“France is here
Associated Press to facilitate things, to show
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — to everyone and to the
Greece is seeking help institutions that it is time
from France, its close ally to reach an agreement,
in the 19-country eurozone, that it’s time to look to the
as it seeks to overcome future,” Sapin said.On Fri-
stubborn sticking points in day, Deputy Prime Minister
its bailout talks and return Yannis Dragasakis said the
to international bond mar- country could hold a 2017
kets later this year. “test” auction before the
France’s Prime Minister end of the year if current
Bernard Cazeneuve and negotiations with rescue
Finance Minister Michel lenders are concluded
Sapin were in Athens Friday “in the next few weeks”
for talks, as negotiations and the European Central
with bailout inspectors in Bank accepts Greece in its
the Greek capital contin- bond-buying stimulus pro-
ued for a fourth consecu- gram.Bailouts talks for con-
tive day.Cazeneuve met ditions on future payouts
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras have been delayed by a
and described recent im- policy rift between the IMF
provements in Greek econ- and European lenders, as
omy as “spectacular,” well reluctance in Athens
while Sapin said France to make further cuts after
was working to keep the years of economic turmoil
International Monetary and recession. q
