DUP leader Peter Robinson dedicated his victory in the Northern Ireland elections to slain Catholic police officer Ronan Kerr.

Robinson made the dedication as Sinn Fein and his Democratic Unionist Party were confirmed as the big winners in the Assembly elections.

Both parties showed gains. The DUP, up two seats, are the biggest party in the new parliament with 38 seats while Sinn Fein, up one, now have 29 representatives.

The Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP both lost out as they fell to 16 and 14 seats respectively while the Alliance Party increased their share to eight seats.

The Traditional Unionist Voice and the Greens have one seat each, with an Independent also collecting a seat.

Speaking after he was elected, Robinson said the results proved ‘all the people of Northern

Ireland’ wanted peace and that those responsible for the car bomb which killed Constable Kerr in Omagh had achieved nothing.

“I dedicate this win to Constable Ronan Kerr and his memory, he wanted to serve his community,” said outgoing First Minister Robinson.

“And in the words of his mother, she wanted to ensure that people would come out and support the way forward peacefully in Northern Ireland.”

Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness called on the Alliance Party, the DUP and the SDLP to work with his party and the DUP in the new assembly.

“I would like to see more realism from the UUP and SDLP,” said McGuinness.

“I would like to see those parties as well as the Alliance Party working in the spirit of co-operation.

“If Peter Robinson and I can work together, then surely all of those parties can work with us.”
Northern Ireland is divided into 18 constituencies, each with six Assembly seats.

The DUP remains the largest political party in the North with a 30 per cent share of the vote, just ahead of Sinn Fein on 26.9 per cent share of the poll.

The SDLP came next with 14.2 per cent of the poll with the Ulster Unionist Party slipping into fourth place with just 13.2 per cent.

The moderate Alliance Party secured 7.7 per cent of the vote.