DUP leader Edwin Poots leaves new turmoil in Northern Ireland

The leader of Northern Ireland’s largest political party has agreed to resign, just three weeks after taking office, a dramatic culmination for a row on how to continue the region’s power-sharing government.

Edwin Poots announced his resignation as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party in an emailed statement following a four-hour meeting with DUP officials in Belfast. He shall remain in office until his successor is appointed.

It was hoped that the creationist, who took power promising to be tougher on key unionist issues, would face a vote of no confidence after challenging the party and indeed agreeing concessions with the Sinn nationalist party. Féin to save the government that distributes power. collapse.

“This has been a difficult period for the party and the country,” Poots said in his resignation statement, adding that he had “conveyed to the president my determination to do everything possible to ensure that both unionism and Northern Ireland will be able to move to a stronger place.

Earlier on Thursday, Poots had challenged a DUP vote and appointed Paul Givan as the new Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, which allowed Stormont’s power-sharing government to continue with Sinn Féin, which he had convinced. Westminster to speed up legislation advancing the Irish language.

DUP members opposed both the principle of the London intervention and the fact that Sinn Féin had won a concession.

The revolt against Poots is the latest sign of turbulence in Northern Ireland that has been fueled by the terms of the Brexit deal with the UK and the EU.

Sammy Wilson, a senior DUP MP, publicly criticized Poots ’nomination for Givan on Thursday afternoon and had refused to rule out a vote of no confidence in his leadership.

“The numbers are worse than they were against Arlene [Foster]”A person familiar with the situation had said before the meeting with party officials, referring to the removal of Poots’ predecessor in April after losing the support of DUP politicians.

Sinn Féin had stated that it would continue in the administration only if legislation to improve the status of the Irish language was passed quickly in Stormont.

The DUP had refused, but the stalemate was broken on Wednesday night when the UK government indicated it would pass legislation in Westminster.

The move had paved the way for Poots to appoint Givan as Foster’s successor as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin appointed Michelle O’Neill as deputy prime minister.

But Wilson said DUP lawmakers and party members in Stormont had made “very, very clear” in a previous vote Thursday that they were against Poots’ immediate appointment to Givan.

“It’s hard to have confidence in anyone who puts aside the firmly held opinions of all the various sections of the party and moves on,” Wilson added, referring to Poots.

“I guarantee that most unionists. . . he will be dismayed that the powers of the assembly will do so. . . set aside to promote a Sinn Féin niche ”.

Poots had said he presented Givan without “a Sinn Féin precondition” and the aim was to make Northern Ireland “a better place for everyone”.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said on Wednesday she had called on Westminster to intervene because it had become “very clear” that the DUP would not prioritize Irish-language legislation.

Poots was DUP leader for less than three weeks, taking over from Foster after Brexit played a major role in his dismissal as DUP leader and prime minister.

Deirdre Heenan, a professor of social policy at the University of Ulster, said earlier that it was “difficult to exaggerate the strategic and strategic failure of the Poots putch”.

“That DUP [members at Stormont] and deputies voted against the nomination for prime minister reflect anger and disarray within the party, ”he added.