DUP, Sinn Fein triumph in Northern Ireland vote

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

May 7, 2011
DUP, Sinn Fein triumph in Northern Ireland vote

(AP) BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Northern Ireland's two major parties will return to power atop a joint Catholic-Protestant government with increased support for their policies of compromise and peacemaking, electoral returns Saturday showed.

The British Protestants of the Democratic Unionists and the Irish Catholics of Sinn Fein — bitter enemies for decades but, since 2007, partners in government — strengthened their hold on the Northern Ireland Assembly, the bedrock of the province's cross-community government.

The Democratic Unionists won 38 seats in Thursday's election, two more than in the last election four years ago. Sinn Fein won 29, up one. The result reinforced their status as the largest parties in the 108-member assembly and the co-leaders of government.

The outcome means Democratic Unionist leader Peter Robinson stays in the government's top post of first minister, and Sinn Fein deputy leader Martin McGuinness — a former commander of the outlawed Irish Republican Army — as deputy first minister. Many Protestants had feared a surge in Sinn Fein support that would put McGuinness on top.



Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/07/ap/europe/main20060790.shtml

[Agent William]

1. Damn, it would have been nice to have moderates like SDLP or UUP pick up seats

Oh well, at least Gerry Adams is no longer in NI politics... I cringe just thinking about him...

[bettyellen]

3. Gerry Adams would never had existed if the "moderate" UUP wasn't allowing discrimination and

oppression of Catholics in NI. Things had to change, and there is still a long ways to go.

Oh, for the "good old days" eh, when the croppies knew their place.

[a la izquierda]

5. :)

I grew up in a hardcore Irish Catholic family. Easiest way to rile up my dad was to talk about England.

[CountAllVotes]

6. +1

n/t

:kick:

[Agent William]

8. I see, I grew up in a hardcore British family...

And the easiest way to get mum angry was by mentioning Gerry Adams/IRA.

[Agent William]

7. Whilst the mainstream UUP pre-1990s was quite bigoted,

that is no longer true of the present UUP. As of now they are a major unionist party that is far more tolerant than DUP. Same goes for SDLP almost the Nationalists...sadly, neither hold any real power. Instead DUP and SF dominate the politics of the Province.

I just got done writing a lengthy paper on this subject. Basically, the worse economic conditions get, the more the voters are likely to vote for extremist parties.

Just look at DUP and SF's websites... You'll see what I mean when I say extremists.

On edit, I once heard that Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams both rely on each other for political survival. They need to demonstrate that the other side is crazy and dangerous...thus garnering politlal support. Since the tone of NI politics has considerably cooled, perhaps that is why these two aren't all that active. Well, that and Paisley is almost in his 90s.

[defendandprotect]

2. kr

[2banon]

4. interesting..

this outcome was only a dream just 15 years ago..