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11/06/2012
Martin McGuinness To Stand Down As MP
Sinn Fein's Martin McGuiness is to stand down from his Westminster seat as part of a shake-up to end double-jobbing.
The Deputy First Minister's action will force a by-election for a new MP in his Mid-Ulster seat.
Gerry Adams, the party's president, said the move proved Sinn Fein was acting where other parties only spoke.
He said: "The key thing to be said about this issue is that other parties are talking about ending dual mandate, we have now acted to make it happen."
He said Sinn Fein policy was to end dual mandates, where a politician sits on two decision-making bodies, and MLAs with local council seats had recently been "phased out".
Four other Sinn Fein politicians who hold dual seats will resign their MLA positions in order to end their dual mandate without having to hold further elections.
These are Paul Maskey (West Belfast), Pat Doherty (West Tyrone), Michelle Gildernew (Fermanagh/ South Tyrone) and Conor Murphy (Newry/Armagh.
New Assembly members will be co-opted, by July 2, rather than voted in.
Mr Adams said his party would continue to refuse to sit in Westminster, but wanted to avoid creating a string of electoral contests by resigning all five of its parliamentary seats.
A by-election for Mr McGuinness' vacated Mid-Ulster seat is not likely to take place until after the summer.
(NE/GK)
The Deputy First Minister's action will force a by-election for a new MP in his Mid-Ulster seat.
Gerry Adams, the party's president, said the move proved Sinn Fein was acting where other parties only spoke.
He said: "The key thing to be said about this issue is that other parties are talking about ending dual mandate, we have now acted to make it happen."
He said Sinn Fein policy was to end dual mandates, where a politician sits on two decision-making bodies, and MLAs with local council seats had recently been "phased out".
Four other Sinn Fein politicians who hold dual seats will resign their MLA positions in order to end their dual mandate without having to hold further elections.
These are Paul Maskey (West Belfast), Pat Doherty (West Tyrone), Michelle Gildernew (Fermanagh/ South Tyrone) and Conor Murphy (Newry/Armagh.
New Assembly members will be co-opted, by July 2, rather than voted in.
Mr Adams said his party would continue to refuse to sit in Westminster, but wanted to avoid creating a string of electoral contests by resigning all five of its parliamentary seats.
A by-election for Mr McGuinness' vacated Mid-Ulster seat is not likely to take place until after the summer.
(NE/GK)
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