DAILY NEWS

NI election: DUP win dedicated to Police officer Ronan Kerr

Democratic Unionist leader Peter Robinson has dedicated his party’s win in the NI Assembly election to murdered Roman Catholic police officer Ronan Kerr, the BBC reports

The DUP and Sinn Fein won the most seats with 38 and 29 respectively.

Mr Robinson said the results proved people wanted peace and Constable Kerr’s murder achieved nothing.

The Ulster Unionists won 16 seats, the SDLP 14, Alliance eight, Greens one and TUV one. David McClarty was the sole independent elected.

The result means the DUP and Sinn Fein retain their positions as the two major parties in the NI Assembly.

Following the last count in his east Belfast constituency, Peter Robinson dedicated his win to PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr, who was murdered by dissident republicans in Omagh last month.

“He wanted to serve his community,” Mr Robinson said.

“And in the words of his mother, she wanted to ensure that people would come out and support the way forward peacefully in Northern Ireland.”

The DUP went up two from their 2007 performance while Sinn Fein picked up one seat from four years ago.

The final outcome for the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP was more disappointing, with both dropping two seats.

The DUP performed strongly in North Down, winning three seats in a constituency where it had no MLAs ten years ago.

More at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13320482