The Alliance Party last night survived in Lagan Valley as its candidate, Trevor Lunn, gained from the SDLP's departure from the constituency. Mr Lunn was deemed elected on the seventh count. As the count continued late last night, Sinn Féin's Paul Butler was elected following the elimination of the SDLP's Marietta Farrell.
The DUP was hoping, with good vote management, to gain an extra, fourth seat after the party's best vote getter Jeffrey Donaldson's huge personal vote of four quotas in the 2005 Westminster election. As he received more than 3,000 surplus votes, it looked like it might be a challenge too far and the poll topper himself said it would be "tight".
The shock within the UUP was that while the party retained a seat and was battling for a second, its sitting MLA Billy Bell lost out to his party colleague, new contender Basil McCrea.
In the nationalist battle, Mr Butler polled some 2,000 more first-preference votes than Ms Farrell, a new candidate replacing MLA Patricia Lewsley, who stood down after she was appointed the North's children's commissioner. Mr Butler held out and took the SDLP seat following the distribution of Ms Farrell's votes.
Mr Lunn replaces popular former party leader Séamus Close, who has retired. Having polled 3,765 first preferences, his success or failure was dependent on the SDLP transfers.
Mr Donaldson, following his poll-topping performance and election on the first count, warned against "pulling the plug" on talks after the deadline of March 26th. The MLA and MP, who topped the Assembly elections poll in Lagan Valley with a 3,818 vote surplus, said that achieving an agreement "may take a little longer" but "I am hopeful we can get things resolved before the summer". Asked about Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's comments that this election was the last chance for devolution, Mr Donaldson said: "It's just as well I'm not a drinking man because of the number of times I've been invited to sup with the Taoiseach in that particular saloon." ...
- Marie O'Halloran