16 January 2017•Update: 16 January 2017
By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal
LONDON
Northern Irish voters will go to polls to elect new members of the Assembly on March 2, Secretary of State James Brokenshire said on Monday.
Brokenshire told the media “the resignation of [Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party politician] Martin McGuinness last Monday began a seven-day period in which the post of deputy first minister could be filled”, and “this period expired at 5 p.m. this afternoon without anyone having been nominated to the position.
“I am now obliged, under relevant legislation, to propose a date for the next Northern Ireland Assembly election.
“In the light of this, I propose that a draft Order in Council be brought forward shortly to set an election date of Thursday 2nd March and to dissolve the Assembly from the 26th January – meaning its last sitting day will be the 25th.”
Northern Ireland's first minister said earlier on Monday the region's power-sharing parliament will dissolve shortly.
Arlene Foster was speaking shortly before the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party -- her partner in Northern Ireland's devolved government -- declared it would not nominate a new deputy first minister, thereby plunging the divided region into a new election.
Foster accused Sinn Fein of triggering the election because they did not like the outcome of last May's vote.
"They have forced an election that risks Northern Ireland's future and stability and which suits nobody but themselves," she said.
Sinn Fein’s McGuinness stepped down as deputy first minister last week amid a row over a botched energy-saving scheme which could cost the public millions. Under Northern Ireland’s political system, his resignation also effectively removes Foster from her position.
Shortly after her Monday statement, Foster was nominated by her Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) lawmakers as first minister. However, Sinn Fein refused to nominate a deputy first minister, a situation which sparked snap elections straight after a 5 p.m. (GMT) deadline expires.
Sinn Fein lawmaker Michelle O'Neill told a session of the Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast there would be no nomination from their party for the deputy first minister position.
She said: "We will not tolerate the arrogance and the disrespect of DUP. Sinn Fein and the public will not tolerate financial scandal, incompetence and waste of public money...If something is broke, stop and fix it. That is the Sinn Fein approach."
