First MLAs elected to Stormont

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The first MLAs have been elected to Stormont as counting continues in Northern Ireland’s Assembly election.

DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson topped the poll in East Belfast while Alliance candidate for the area Naomi Long was also elected in the first counts.

Mr Robinson topped the poll with 5,635 first preference votes, while Ms Long came second with 5,583 votes.

Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey is still two votes short of the quota.

SDLP have received their first seat with Alasdair McDonnell elected in South Belfast, and Jimmy Spratt was elected in the same constituency for the DUP.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has been elected on the first count in West Belfast, while Jeffrey Donaldson from the DUP was also elected inthe Lagan Valley constituency.

In the North Belfast constituency, Nigel Dodds from the DUP and Gerry Kelly from Sinn Fein won their seats.

In North Antrim DUP leader Dr Ian Paisley was elected on the first vote with 7,716 votes, as was Sinn Fein candidate Daithi McKay with 7,065. Ian Paisley Jr. is hoping to be elected after the second count takes place.

North Down first count placed Alex Easton of the DUP in a seat with the only over quota count vount of 4,946 votes.

By 5:00pm the DUP are ahead with seven seats, Sinn Fein has three seats and the Alliance Party and SDLP have one seat each, while the UUP are yet to have a candidate placed.

In East Londonderry, DUP candidate Gregory Campbell was elected on the first count.

The turn-out is understood to be around the same as in the 2003 Assembly Election.

Both British and Irish governments hope the outcome of this election will pave the way for a return to devolution.

A power-sharing executive is due to be formed by 26 March.

Counting will continue late into the night with most results expected to be known by Friday.

(JM/SP)