Northern Ireland's voters trudged back to the polls Mar. 7 for what is billed as a make-or-break chance at building a lasting power-sharing executive between Protestants and Catholics.
The elections to the legislature are a key step towards restoring devolved government in the long-troubled British province.
The Democratic Unionists (DUP), a hardline conservative Protestant party which strongly favors Northern Ireland remaining a part of the United Kingdom, topped the polls.
PHOTO: EPA
Their foes Sinn Fein — a Catholic socialist group favoring integration into the Republic of Ireland, and the ex political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which has renounced violence — came in second.
The script agreed by London and Belfast says the pair are meant to form a semi-autonomous executive by March 26.
But the wrangling and thrashing will probably go down to the wire.
PHOTO: AFP
"Until we are satisfied that Sinn Fein is a democratic political party, we will not be sitting down in government with them," said DUP MP Gregory Campbell during a BBC television debate.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams accused the DUP of "posturing," "bombast" and blocking the path to a settlement.
"Sinn Fein's resolve is that we will never, ever see this (the Troubles) happening again," he said.
The DUP won 30 percent of the vote and Sinn Fein 26 percent.
Smaller, more moderate parties saw a decline in their percentage of the vote.(AFP)
為了這次號稱「成敗繫於一役」、考驗清教徒和天主教徒之間能否持久建立權力共享政府的選舉，北愛爾蘭選民三月七日拖著沉重的步伐重新回到投票所。
對於這長期紛擾不斷的英國省份，此次議會選舉關係著是否能重新恢復地方分權政府。
態度強硬保守的清教徒民主聯盟黨，強力主張北愛爾蘭仍是英國的一部分，在此次選舉中得票數居各黨之冠。
其對手新芬黨的得票數位居第二。已宣布放棄武力的天主教新芬黨，走的是社會主義路線，系出愛爾蘭共和軍的政治分支，主張北愛爾蘭併入愛爾蘭共和國。
倫敦和貝爾法斯特同意的腳本中，兩黨預定在三月二十六日前組成半自治政府。不過你來我往的言語交鋒可能愈演愈烈。
民主聯盟黨國會議員葛列格里．坎貝爾在英國國家廣播電台的一場電視辯論中指出︰「在我們能確信新芬黨是民主政黨之前，我們不會跟他們共組政府。」
新芬黨黨魁蓋瑞亞當斯指控民主聯盟黨「裝模作樣」、「高談闊論」，而且阻礙協議的達成。他表示︰「新芬黨的解決方案是我們絕
對不會再讓此事發生（北愛爾蘭動亂）重演。」
民主聯盟黨贏得30%的席次，新芬黨則是26%。立場較溫和的較小型政黨席次有下降的情況。
（法新社╱翻譯︰鄭湘儀）
A: Several Japanese and South Korean acts, such as BigBang, are participating in this year’s Coachella Music Festival. Have any Mando-pop singers ever performed at Coachella? B: Yup, K-pop group GOT7’s Hong Kong member Jackson Wang, and Taiwanese band Sunset Rollercoaster, which primarily performs in English, attended the festival before. A: It’s a pity that we didn’t fly to Coachella. But in fact, Taipei has also gradually become an Asian music hub in recent years. B: That’s true. K-pop sensation Twice just held three concerts at the Taipei Dome, followed by Hong Kong singer G.E.M., who is going
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