North of Ireland goes to the poll on March 2
On Thursday 2 March people in the North of Ireland will go to the poll to vote for the new Assembly. Following the resignation of Deputy First Minister, Sinn Fein Martin McGuinness, last month, new elections have been called. The north’s largest unionist party, the DUP, had refused to tackle the accusation of corruption it faced and First Minister Arlene Foster, instead of stepping down as she should have done, has preferred to wait for Sinn Fein to resign and so trigger elections. Now the DUP is increasingly fearful amid predictions that it could fall below the thirty seats it needs to hold on to its veto over political change in the north of Ireland.
Mrs Foster directed attention to what she said was a “very real prospect” that Sinn Fein would emerge as Stormont’s largest party and claimed that would be a “disaster for unionism”. The DUP leader claimed opinion polls suggested it was “neck and neck between Gerry Adams/Sinn Fein and the DUP”. The UUP and SDLP were not running to win, she added, but “to stop the DUP from winning”. She also warned of the possibility of a Sinn Fein justice minister and, ironically, efforts to “rewrite the past” and a “sectarian abuse of power”.
Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill (who will run for Sinn Fein for the post of First Minister) told the DUP leader to “stop fixating on Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein and recognise instead that she is in charge of her party in the region, not Mr Adams”.
O’Neill added: ”I want the institutions to work. Sinn Fein are committed to making the institutions work. We don’t need a new agreement. But we can only be in government with partners who are wedded to respect, equality and integrity,” she said.
The real concern for the DUP is that the party will fall below 30 seats in the reduced Assembly following the poll next Thursday. Under the new rules for this election, all of the constituencies have just five seats, one less than last year. Applying last year’s election results to the new set-up, the DUP is predicted by some commentators to lose up to nine seats, leaving it with 29.
Assuming the Assembly is eventually restored, the DUP will need to enlist the support of other unionists in order to continue to block change. Ms O’Neill warned against political instability in the aftermath of the election. “Political stability has been a key factor when it comes to attracting foreign direct investment, creating jobs, growing our economy,” she said.
Related Articles
IL FILM DI JOSU MARTINEZ IN ITALIA – DATE
La storia di un popolo è formata da mille situazioni e storie personali che facilmente vengono dimenticate. Josu Martinez, regista di ‘Itsasoaren alaba’ (‘La figlia del mare’) pensa che raccogliere storie sia fondamentale, come restituirle agli spettatori.
La figlia del mare racconta la storia della ricostruzione di una memoria, personale ma nel contempo collettiva. La figlia del mare è Haize Goikoetxea che mette a disposizione questo suo viaggio nella memoria. Haize è figlia di Mikel Goikoetxea, ‘Txapela’, e aveva solo due anni quando il Gal ha ammazzato suo padre, militante di Eta. “Haize, – dice Josu Martinez, nato a Bilbao nel 1986 – mi ha chiesto un giorno di aiutarla a incontrare le persone che avevano conosciuto suo padre. In quel momento – continua Josu – non c’era affatto l’idea di un film. Si trattava della richiesta di aiuto di un’amica. Anzi, quando ho cominciato a pensare a filmare quegli incontri, mi sono sentito molto imbarazzato a chiederle di portare la telecamera”. Vinto l’imbarazzo il giovane regista fa la richiesta, che viene accolta con piacere da Haize.
Il risultato di questa collaborazione è un film che è un piccolo gioiello. Che si potrà vedere in Italia fra qualche giorno.
Qui sotto il calendario delle proiezioni e in allegato il manifesto delle giornate di Bergamo.
Clicca QUI per vedere il trailer del film
Otro «accidente» antidemocrático de Turquía – GARA
El BDP kurdo calificó el ataque aéreo del Ejército turco, que provocó la muerte de 35 civiles,
Families visited Öcalan and 3 other prisoners in Imrali after 6 months
According to Asrin Law Office, family members of Imrali prisoners have visited their relatives. For the first time after six
