DUBLIN (Reuters) – Paul Givan of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) replaced Arlene Foster as Northern Ireland’s First Minister on Thursday after the region’s main parties staved off a fresh political crisis that threatened to lead to a snap election.
Givan, 39, is a close ally of new DUP leader Edwin Poots. He needed to secure the consent of the party’s main partners in the region’s power-sharing government, Irish nationalist rivals Sinn Fein, to take the post.
Sinn Fein insisted the nomination be accompanied by the implementation of the cultural elements of a political agreement struck last year and the parties agreed a means to do so in late night talks on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Jon Boyle)
