THE COUNTING OF votes in Northern Ireland’s Assembly elections concluded early this morning leaving the DUP with 28 seats – just one ahead of Sinn Féin.
The Democratic Unionist Party scraped into first place - meaning unionist parties will no longer command a majority leadership for the first time since the province was created in 1921.
Sinn Fein had its best results ever in the election with 27 of the 90 seats.
The vote was called to resolve a political stalemate between historical rivals DUP and Sinn Fein, but they will have to try to work together again to form a new power-sharing government.
The election could potentially bring Northern Ireland back under direct rule unless the DUP and Sinn Féin can break the deadlock.
Breakdown
There was a 64.8% turnout – the highest since the first vote after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. There was a 55% turnout in the 2016 election.
Here’s how all 90 seats were filled in Northern Ireland’s snap Assembly election:
While it came out on top, Foster’s party lost a chunk of the 38 seats it garnered in last year’s election.
This vote was triggered at the start of the year after Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned over First Minister Arlene Foster’s stance on the Cash for Ash controversy – although tensions over support for the Irish language, and other factors, had also been bubbling under in the months leading up to Sinn Féin’s decision to pull out.
During the Brexit vote, the DUP backed leaving the EU while Sinn Fein campaigned to stay.
Sinn Fein have said they will not work with the DUP if Foster is re-nominated.
The parties have three weeks to strike some sort of deal, otherwise the Belfast legislature is likely to be suspended and its powers returned to London.
Foster spoke of “challenging” results and conceded to Sky News that it “looks like it has been a very good day for Sinn Fein”.
Additional reporting by AFP.
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