Sinn Fein's Mr Alex Maskey last night failed to secure the position of Lord Mayor of Belfast after the Alliance Party, which holds the balance of power on the council, refused to support him. Instead, anti-agreement Ulster Unionist Councillor Mr Jim Rodgers was elected by 28 votes to 23.
As the largest party at City Hall, Sinn Fein expected its candidate to secure the position, which the party has never held.
The combined vote of 14 Sinn Fein and nine SDLP councillors was not enough when the Alliance's three councillors voted with the DUP, the Ulster Unionists, an independent unionist and the Progressive Unionist Party - the UVF's political wing.
The new Lord Mayor said he would serve all the citizens of Belfast and treat nationalist councillors with equality and respect.
Mr Hugh Smyth of the PUP was elected deputy mayor with UUP support. He defeated the DUP candidate by 15 votes to 10. Nationalist councillors abstained.
Alliance had proposed an SDLP candidate for the deputy position but the SDLP refused, in protest at the refusal to elect Mr Maskey.
Alliance supports Sinn Fein ministers in the Executive at Stormont and had backed Mr Maskey for mayor in a previous election. It denied republican claims that it was "the party of no principle" and insisted the decision was largely based on the IRA's failure to move on decommissioning.
It said its concerns on the weapons issue were shared by the Taoiseach, the British Prime Minister and the SDLP.
The leader of the Alliance council group, Dr David Alderdice, said his party did not have enough confidence in Sinn Fein's ability to hold "the most important civic post in Northern Ireland". He recognised Sinn Fein's mandate as the council's largest party, but said that democracy was about more than the "sheer weight of numbers". "It is about how those in positions of power treat minorities."
Mr Maskey said Alliance's decision flew in the face of the democratic wishes of the people.
It ensured that the status quo of unionist domination at City Hall remained. "Alliance is totally contradicting itself by supporting the election of an anti-agreement unionist," he said.
The outgoing DUP Lord Mayor, Mr Sammy Wilson, said the public would "breathe a sigh of relief" that Sinn Fein had not won. It would be disgraceful if "those who have physically scarred" people and property secured the council's top position.
Mr Maskey said Mr Wilson would eventually see a Sinn Fein Lord Mayor. " Mr David Ervine of the PUP said the unionist community was clearly not ready for a Sinn Fein Lord Mayor.