30/05/2002

Race for Lord Mayor of Belfast begins

Sinn Féin is looking to the Alliance Party to back its bid for the Belfast lord mayorship next week, as Alex Maskey, the party’s candidate, is hoping to become the first republican lord mayor of the city.

The Alliance Party has said they will make their decision known tomorrow. Alliance Belfast City Council spokesman David Alderdice, said: “We have seriously considered the potential candidates and consulted widely, both within and outside the party. I can assure everyone that whatever decision we make, we will be acting in the best interests of all the people of Belfast.”

Mr Maskey had hoped to become lord mayor last year, but the Alliance Party, which holds the balance of power via three seats at Belfast City Hall, refused to back him.

Speaking at the official launch of his mayoral launch today, Mr Maskey said: “We are confident that this time councillors will respect the wishes of the electorate and respect the ethos of what they signed up to under the Good Friday Agreement, and elect a Sinn Féin Mayor. In doing so they will be heralding a new era of mutual respect and total inclusion in City Hall.”

(AMcE)


Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

09 March 2007
DUP and Sinn Fein leading in Assembly Elections
UPDATE: The Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein hold the majority of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly Election. The DUP and Sinn Fein emerged considerably ahead of the other parties with main losers the UUP dropping 9 seats to retain just 18 seats.
25 May 2011
Joint City Hall Unionist Grouping Defeated
Belfast councillors have been accused of 'breaking the rules' after the Alliance, SDLP and Sinn Fein politicians united to change the system in Belfast City Hall which had the effect of excluding members of the newly formed Belfast City Unionist Group from key council positions.
01 June 2009
Female Alliance Lord Mayor Mooted
The Alliance party is hotly tipped to take the chain of Belfast Lord Mayor at this evening's council meeting. Tonight will see either the Liberal Democrat-aligned Alliance or the DUP elected to the office of first citizen. Both parties are expected to put themselves forward for the role.
10 December 2012
Assembly Session Held Over Flag Violence
A special session is being held in the Assembly today to debate a motion condemning the violence caused by the flag debate at Belfast City Hall. Protests, both peaceful and violent, have been taking place across Northern Ireland since the decision was made to remove the union flag from Belfast City Hall and fly it only on designated days.
17 April 2013
SDLP Opposes Cenotaph Flag Proposal
The SDLP has said it is against the flying of the union flag over the Cenotaph at Belfast City Hall, on the basis that it should be maintained as a shared space. An Equality Screening is currently taking place to decide the equality impact of flying the flag above the Cenotaph.