ounting is continuous within the Northern Ireland native authorities elections with greater than half the council seats now stuffed.

As the depend stretched right into a second day Sinn Fein remained on the right track to develop into the most important celebration in native authorities with 93 councillors elected.

The DUP presently has 79 council seats, the Alliance Party 39, the Ulster Unionists 30, and the SDLP 20, with 16 others.

The votes are being counted by means of the one transferable vote system, with 462 seats to be stuffed throughout 11 council areas.

The basic sample round voter turnout seemed to be up barely in areas which might be considered predominantly nationalist/republican and down barely in areas considered as unionist majority.

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It is the primary electoral take a look at for the events since final yr’s Assembly elections and takes place towards the backdrop of the Stormont stalemate, with the powersharing establishments not working as a part of a DUP protest towards post-Brexit buying and selling preparations.

Speaking at Belfast City Hall, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald mentioned the election outcomes confirmed “a very strong showing for Sinn Fein right across the north”.

She added: “We are very pleased with that. We ran a very positive campaign and we are very pleased that the response to that has just been so positive by way of returns.

“In the course of the election a lot of things were discussed, all the local issues but, in truth, the big issue was that of a return of the executive, the need to have government, the need to have leadership, the need to work together, to make politics work for everybody.

“The need for Michelle O’Neill to come into post as the first minister for all.

“So, for us, that is the significance of this result, it is undoubtedly a vote for progress, for change, for positivity and, above all else, for working together.”

There must be a plan now for a means again to a restored government

Party vp Michelle O’Neill mentioned the British and Irish Governments now wanted to give you a plan to convey Stormont again.

She mentioned: “We ran a very positive campaign.

“But on the doors the conversation was very much centred around the need to have a restored Assembly and executive up and running.

“That needs to be done now without delay. We would call on both governments to get engaged and actually make that happen.

“There needs to be a plan now for a way back to a restored executive.”

DUP chief Sir Jeffrey Donaldson mentioned if Sinn Fein emerges as the most important celebration in native authorities, unionism must “look at where it’s going”.

Speaking on the Lisburn and Castlereagh council depend, he mentioned: “Let’s see when the final votes are all counted who is the largest party but, if Sinn Fein do emerge as the largest party in the council elections, I think yet again, as I’ve been saying, consistently, there are lessons that unionism needs to learn here.

“We can’t go on with a situation where turnout in unionist areas is significantly lower than in nationalist areas, you can’t go on with a situation where the unionist vote is continually splitting and splintering.

“The result of that is that seats are gifted to Sinn Fein and to others when the unionist vote is split, and when that unionist vote doesn’t transfer sufficiently.

“So, I think, we really do need to learn the lessons behind all of this, the DUP without a shadow of a doubt is by far the largest unionist party and I think that unionism needs to look at where it’s going and regroup around a strong voice for unionism, and see more co-operation between unionist parties.”

Alliance Party chief Naomi Long mentioned she believes it has been a constructive election for her celebration.

Speaking to the PA news company, Mrs Long mentioned: “It’s been very positive so far but it’s very early.

“It’s still too early to predict, any of the gains that we hope to make will come much later but it looks good, it’s been a strong turnout for Alliance and from our perspective it’s been a good day.

“Undoubtedly Sinn Fein has had a fantastic election, I think everyone can see that, but with the exception of Sinn Fein I think Alliance is the only party to have made significant gains at this point.”

At the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council, UUP chief Doug Beattie referred to the opportunity of unionism as a complete shedding seats.

“The question is will unionism as a whole lose seats in this election, if they do that, it’s a unionism-wide issue that has to be dealt with – as far as my party is concerned, we’ve set our path, I’m not going to change that path,” he mentioned.

“We believe that we need to get Northern Ireland working. We are confident unionists, we want to put out a positive, optimistic message and we will continue to do that, nothing will change.”

Northern Ireland’s councils are chargeable for setting charges, planning and waste assortment in addition to leisure providers and parks.