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| Michelle O'Neill rules herself out as Sinn Féin leader | |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Sinn Féin's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill has ruled herself out of replacing Gerry Adams as party leader. | |
| Mrs O'Neill told BBC's Sunday Politics programme that she had "enough to do" in her current role. | Mrs O'Neill told BBC's Sunday Politics programme that she had "enough to do" in her current role. |
| Mr Adams announced at Sinn Féin's ard fhéis (party conference) on Saturday that he would stand down as the party's leader next year. | |
| "Leadership means knowing when it's time for change and that time is now," said the 69-year-old. | |
| Mr Adams has been party president since 1983, but told the conference it would be his last as leader. | |
| Analysis: BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport | |
| Sinn Féin may hope that Mr Adams' decision not to stand in the next Irish election will make any talks about a future coalition in Dublin more straightforward. | |
| But Fianna Fáil Leader Micheal Martin has repeated his view that Sinn Fein remains unacceptable as a partner in government. | |
| Whatever the future brings, there's no doubt Gerry Adams' move marks an historic change as a leader who oversaw the republican movement's journey between violence and peace gives way to another politician who will pursue Irish unity through more conventional parliamentary politics. | |
| Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald is the front-runner to replace him. | |
| It is expected that a special party conference will be held next year to elect a new president. | It is expected that a special party conference will be held next year to elect a new president. |
| Mrs O'Neill was appointed Sinn Féin's Stormont leader in January, after former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness retired. | |
| She said she would not be entering the Sinn Féin leadership race and would be concentrating on dealing "with the problems in the north". | She said she would not be entering the Sinn Féin leadership race and would be concentrating on dealing "with the problems in the north". |
| She added that it was an "emotional, but also an exciting, time for republican politics". | |
| "We will see who puts their name forward and then I will obviously make my decision on who I'd support that time." | "We will see who puts their name forward and then I will obviously make my decision on who I'd support that time." |
| She added that the election of a new president will be a "very health process". | She added that the election of a new president will be a "very health process". |
| 'Hamster wheel' talks | 'Hamster wheel' talks |
| Meanwhile, Mrs O'Neill has called on both government to take a bigger role in breaking the ongoing political deadlock in Northern Ireland. | Meanwhile, Mrs O'Neill has called on both government to take a bigger role in breaking the ongoing political deadlock in Northern Ireland. |
| The power-sharing government at Stormont collapsed in January and several rounds of talks to restore the institutions between Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) have failed. | The power-sharing government at Stormont collapsed in January and several rounds of talks to restore the institutions between Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) have failed. |
| Mrs O'Neill said that she was sure the parties would return to a "talks process of some description but it has to be meaningful - we can't keep going around the hamster wheel". | Mrs O'Neill said that she was sure the parties would return to a "talks process of some description but it has to be meaningful - we can't keep going around the hamster wheel". |
| She added that she will tell Prime Minister Theresa May when they meet on Tuesday that the Conservative Party have not sufficiently encouraged the DUP to strike a deal because of their Westminster pact. | She added that she will tell Prime Minister Theresa May when they meet on Tuesday that the Conservative Party have not sufficiently encouraged the DUP to strike a deal because of their Westminster pact. |
| On Saturday, she called on the Irish government to appoint a minister with responsibility for advancing Irish unity. | On Saturday, she called on the Irish government to appoint a minister with responsibility for advancing Irish unity. |
| At Sinn Féin's party conference, she said that a parliamentary committee in the Republic of Ireland should also be formed to look at a united Ireland. | At Sinn Féin's party conference, she said that a parliamentary committee in the Republic of Ireland should also be formed to look at a united Ireland. |
| On Saturday, delegates at the ard fhéis voted to liberalise the party's policy on abortion. | |
| Party members voted in favour of allowing abortions where a pregnancy poses a risk to a woman's health, including mental health. | |
| There will be a referendum on abortion law in the Republic of Ireland next May or June. | |
| Sinn Féin's previous position supported allowing terminations when a baby is expected to die in the womb or shortly after birth, and in cases of rape or incest. | |
| Currently, the law in the Republic of Ireland only permits abortion when there is a real and substantial risk to a woman's life. In Northern Ireland, terminations are only legal when continuing with a pregnancy poses a serious or permanent risk to a woman's health. |