Northern Ireland Sinn F?in's First Local Election Victory... Welcoming a "New Era"

Nationalist Party Sinn F?in Secures 27 Seats, Confirmed as Leading Party
Michelle O'Neill: "Northern Ireland Welcomes a 'New Era'"

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Sinn Fein, a pro-Irish nationalist party in Northern Ireland, has become the majority party in the parliament for the first time in history.

According to AP, AFP news agencies and BBC on the 7th, as the counting of the local election held on the 6th (local time) was nearly complete, Sinn Fein led with 29% of the vote, ahead of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which supports the UK and federalism, with 21%.

At the point when 88 out of 90 total seats were confirmed, Sinn Fein secured 27 seats, surpassing the DUP's 24 seats, making it certain that Sinn Fein would become the largest party.

Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of the DUP, which had held the majority in parliament for the past 20 years, acknowledged Sinn Fein's victory in an interview with Sky News, and accordingly, Sinn Fein secured enough seats to produce the First Minister of Northern Ireland for the first time in a century since Northern Ireland and Ireland split in 1921.

Michelle O'Neill, leader of Sinn Fein who now qualifies as the head of the autonomous government, said this election marks a "new era" for Northern Ireland and described it as a "decisive moment in politics for our people."

O'Neill emphasized, "We will demonstrate inclusive leadership that guarantees the rights and equality of those who were excluded, discriminated against, or ignored in the past."

She added that it is time to have an honest discussion about Sinn Fein's goal of unifying Northern Ireland and Ireland, and pledged to hold a referendum within the next five years.

Sinn Fein was formerly the political organization of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which waged separatist armed struggle.

Originally, in 1921, Ireland remained part of the UK as Northern Ireland, consisting of six counties in the northern Ulster region with its own parliament, while the other three counties and southern Ireland became independent as the Irish Free State, later declaring the Republic of Ireland in 1949.

Northern Ireland, which remained part of the UK, experienced intense conflict between the Catholic (nationalist) forces advocating independence from the UK and the Protestant (unionist) forces demanding to remain in the UK.

Accordingly, after five years of negotiations among the UK government, the Irish government, and seven Protestant-Catholic parties in Northern Ireland, the Belfast Agreement (Good Friday Agreement) was reached in April 1998, transitioning to a peace regime.

Since then, Northern Ireland, having obtained autonomous government status, has been governed jointly by unionist and nationalist parties.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.