The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, which seeks unification with Ireland, hailed a «new era» Saturday for Northern Ireland as it captured the largest number of seats…
(Newser) – The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, which seeks unification with Ireland, hailed a «new era» Saturday for Northern Ireland as it captured the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time in a historic win. With almost all votes counted from Thursday’s local UK election, Sinn Fein secured 27 of the Assembly’s 90 seats, the AP reports. The Democratic Unionist Party, which has dominated Northern Ireland’s legislature for two decades, captured 24 seats. The victory means Sinn Fein is entitled to the post of first minister in Belfast—a first for an Irish nationalist party since Northern Ireland was founded as a Protestant-majority state in 1921.
