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Northern Ireland takes step to power sharing
2007-03-08
Northern Ireland took a step toward restoring a government shared between Protestants and Catholics as it counted votes on Thursday from an election for a new provincial assembly. A strong showing for the main parties on both sides of the divide at Wednesday's ballot could strengthen prospects for a return to sharing power between pro-British Protestants and Catholics seeking a united Ireland. Britain has threatened to impose indefinite direct rule, with help from Dublin, if the sides do not meet a deadline of March 26 for agreeing on a government. Attempts at transferring powers to Belfast have foundered repeatedly since a peace deal in 1998 largely ended a conflict in which 3,600 people were killed. The last 108-member assembly did not even sit for a full day after it was elected in 2003. But parties that were at the political extremes during the violence show increasing signs of readiness to share power. That would also suit British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who wants a political settlement before he steps down this year, and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who plans to call a parliamentary election this year. The two leaders have worked together on a political solution for Northern Ireland for almost a decade. Election results will start coming in on Thursday afternoon, although recounts may push some declarations into Friday. PAISLEY AND ADAMS The share of the vote is not expected to change much from British parliamentary elections in 2005 when the largest Protestant group, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of firebrand preacher Ian Paisley, scored 34 percent. Irish Republican Army (IRA) political ally Sinn Fein, led by Gerry Adams, polled 24 percent of the vote in 2005 and is expected to remain the biggest party representing predominantly Catholic nationalists. The last power-sharing administration, between the more moderate parties, fell apart five years ago and London resumed direct rule. Both groups face dissidents within their own constituencies who accuse them of betraying their principles. Despite IRA disarmament in 2005, Paisley's harder-line rivals say that by leaving the door open to power-sharing he has broken a long-time pledge never to "share power with terrorists." Sinn Fein faces challenges by several former supporters, who say the party was wrong to vote recently to support police and courts dominated by the Protestant majority in Northern Ireland.
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