N.Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson to step down By AFP

Peter Robinson will step down as Northern
Ireland’s First Minister and as leader of his
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) following months
of political turmoil and ill health, he announced
Thursday.
Robinson, 66, told the Belfast Telegraph that he will
not contest next May’s Assembly election and that
he would likely leave his posts within weeks.
The unionist politician was hospitalised in May
after suffering a heart attack.
He quit temporarily in September following a row
with rivals Sinn Fein after one of the republican
party’s senior members was arrested in connection
with the murder of a former Irish Republican Army
(IRA) gunman.
The power-sharing government was pulled back
from the brink of collapse Tuesday by a deal struck
after 10 weeks of deadlock.
The new agreement features a string of measures
aimed at easing suspicions about the ongoing role
of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland while
boosting its economy.
Robinson was expected to reveal his resignation at
this weekend’s DUP conference, but brought
forward the announcement.
“I think it would be disrespectful to the party
membership if I was to go through a conference
with the pretence that I would be leading the party
into the next election,” he said.
“When the party officers declare the process —
which I guess would be at the beginning of next
year — then people can start looking at who the
successors should be for leader and First Minister,”
he told the newspaper.
North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds is the early favourite
to take over as DUP leader.

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