Sinn Fein's spectacular rise continues
Highest ever vote
Third largest party in Ireland
Sinn Fein received over 142,000 first preferences votes
throughout the North in last Thursday's Assembly election, making
it the third largest party in Ireland, behind only Fianna Fáil
and Fine Gael.
Sinn Féin's share of the vote rose to 17.6%, up over 2% on the
Forum election of 1996. The SDLP had been some 60,000 votes ahead
of Sinn Fein in the six counties; this was halved to just 30,000
in this election. Sinn Fein now commands 45% of the Nationalist
vote in the North compared to 30% a mere six years ago.
The party gained eighteen seats in the Assembly which should
entitle it to two ministerial posts.
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