Foster Selected For 'Too Close To Call' By-Election

The DUP has chosen a leading party figure to contest the 'too-close to call' Fermanagh Council By-Election.

NI Economy Minister Arlene Foster has been selected as the party's candidate, after much wrangling between the two main unionist parties on the Council.

The UUP objected to a co-option for the seat, purposed by the DUP, following the death of Councillor Joe Dodds, father of DUP Minister and MP Nigel Dodds.

UUP Councillor Bertie Kerr instead insisted on a by-election for the seat, which has resulted in the DUP putting forward such a high profile candidate.

Ms Foster's nomination clearly shows her party's intent to retain the seat, amid the lingering embarrassment of February's Dromore Council By-Election loss to the UUP.

This was a loss opponents attributed to the DUP's power-sharing arrangement at Stormont.

Last night DUP members, meeting in Lisbellaw, unanimously supported Ms Foster's bid for the seat.

However, with the combined unionist vote in the Enniskillen ward at the 2005 election being 49% of the poll and nationalists taking 47%, the seat is too close to call.

Mrs Foster said: "This by-election will be a fight to keep the seat held by Joe in unionist hands.

"It will be a hard fight and everyone knows that it will be a battle between the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein as to who will take this seat."

Speaking at last night's meeting First Minister Peter Robinson made it clear the party wanted to avert a similar fate experienced in Dromore.

Mrs Foster said: "Over the coming weeks I am looking forward to getting out around the doors and encouraging unionist people, regardless of their party-political allegiances, to rally in the cause of keeping this seat in unionist hands."

See: Unionist Division Deepens

(PR)(BMcC)