Dublin, May 8 (Agency) For the first time, Northern Ireland will be having a nationalist leader as Sinn Fein on Saturday emerged as the largest party in regional elections, as per early estimates. According to CNN, Sinn Fein overtook the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in voting for the province’s 90-member national Assembly, winning the most seats, 27, and securing the highest share of first preference votes.
With Sinn Fein leading the vote counting it would install a first minister for the first time. The party is opposed to Northern Ireland being part of the United Kingdom and is in favor of a united Ireland, CNN reported. Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said, “The preparation for constitutional change in Ireland needs to begin now. We need to be alive to the fact that change is underway. It is my absolute determination that that change will be entirely peaceful.” According to CNN, a clause in the 1998 peace accords, signed with the British and Irish governments after decades of deadly conflict known as The Troubles, established that a referendum on Irish unification could be held if it appears likely that the majority of voters would back it.