Northern Ireland faces early election

BELFAST: Britain’s Northern Ireland minister is expected later on Monday to call an early election in the province, a week after the resignation of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness effectively toppled its eight-month-old devolved government.

McGuinness stood down in protest at First Minister Arlene Foster’s handling of a controversial green-energy scheme, risking political paralysis in the region just as Britain is preparing for talks to leave the European Union.

British Prime Minister Theresa May made a last-ditch attempt to persuade McGuiness’ Irish nationalist Sinn Fein and Foster’s pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to overcome the impasse.

May stressed that political stability would give the province a stronger voice in Britain’s Brexit preparations, the prime minister’s spokeswoman said.

However, Sinn Fein’s refusal to name a replacement for McGuiness now means May’s Northern Irish minister James Brokenshire must dissolve the province’s assembly from 1700 GMT.

Sinn Fein has already begun picking election candidates.

“Sinn Fein will not renominate for the position of deputy first minister. It is now up to the people to have their say,” Sinn Fein minister Michelle O’Neill told Northern Ireland’s assembly.

Sinn Fein, once the political arm of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), has governed with the rival DUP for 10 years under powersharing arrangements that put an end to three decades of sectarian violence in the province.

They were voted back into power as the two largest parties just eight months ago.