Irish Republican News · December 10, 2010

Adams quits Stormont

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has ended his Stormont career by praising what he said was the “remarkable” achievement of power-sharing.

The West Belfast assembly member and MP is standing as a candidate for Louth in next year’s elections to the Dublin parliament.

He said when next spring’s Stormont elections were held it would be the first time the legislature had survived a full four-year term.

But he warned public representatives would be judged on their ability to deliver for ordinary people.

“The assembly is approaching the end of its first full term and that is a remarkable achievement given the difficulties that have had to be overcome,” Mr Adams said.

“This assembly is about delivering for citizens.

“The island of Ireland is too small for us to be separated forever by an artificial border, most sensible people know this and the Good Friday Agreement recognises this.

“God speed the day when we will be united.”

Mr Adams will be replaced by former IRA hunger striker Pat Sheehan in the assembly. The party president has said the main reasons for his surprise decision to contest the southern election were the economic crisis and the need for new ideas.

O MUILLEOIR TO FACE VOTERS

Meanwhile, publisher and former Sinn Fein councillor Mairtin O Muilleoir is to attempt to return to elected politics.

Mr O Muilleoir was this week selected by the party as their candidate for the Balmoral ward of Belfast City Council in next May’s election following a 13-year break from politics.

During the summer he was appointed by Sinn Fein regional development minister Conor Murphy to the scandal-hit Northern Ireland Water board following the controversial sacking of four members.

Mr O Muilleoir, who is the businessman behind Belfast Media Group and was briefly a member of the board of Northern Ireland Water, denied he would contest Mr Adams’s West Belfast Westminster seat.

The area he is contesting is the affluent Balmoral ward in the south of the city - an area currently without Sinn Fein representation.

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