March 08, 2007
Shared Gov't Likely For Northern Ireland
Remember when violence between Catholic and Protestant extremists in Northern Ireland dominated the headlines? Northern Ireland has enjoyed an overall peace for at least five years, and in today's Assembly elections, nearly 250 candidates are "standing in 18 constituencies in the proportional representation election," BBC News reports. Among the winners is Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams, who early results indicate will remain in his post in West Belfast.
Experts on the conflict have speculated that the 9/11 attacks, and subsequent acts of Islamic extremist-driven terrorism in Europe and the Middle East, may explain why the once-feared Irish Republican Army and other parties have laid down arms in recent years. The atmosphere in Northern Ireland is so copasetic these days that the region is now home to thousands of immigrants, BBC News reported last month.
The Belfast Telegraph has a special elections section, including this handy guide to the who's and why's, and The Economist analyzes the significance of today's vote.
