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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Council replacement plan on hold | Council replacement plan on hold |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| Councillors who wish to quit their posts without the need for a by-election may have to wait for another six months. | Councillors who wish to quit their posts without the need for a by-election may have to wait for another six months. |
| The Stormont environment minister has told the BBC that Westminster is resisting introducing the necessary legislation. | The Stormont environment minister has told the BBC that Westminster is resisting introducing the necessary legislation. |
| The local parties wanted the law to ease the change from 26 councils to 11. | The local parties wanted the law to ease the change from 26 councils to 11. |
| However, Edwin Poots said he had been told that some Westminster MPs think it is anti-democratic. | However, Edwin Poots said he had been told that some Westminster MPs think it is anti-democratic. |
| Mr Poots, the environment minister, met with NIO minister Paul Goggins earlier this week. | Mr Poots, the environment minister, met with NIO minister Paul Goggins earlier this week. |
| It had been hoped that long-serving councillors would be able to quit early and be replaced by new people who could then gain experience before the 11 new "super councils" were elected in 2011. | It had been hoped that long-serving councillors would be able to quit early and be replaced by new people who could then gain experience before the 11 new "super councils" were elected in 2011. |
| The plan was to replace outgoing councillors by appointment rather than holding costly by-elections, but it requires legislation at Westminister. | The plan was to replace outgoing councillors by appointment rather than holding costly by-elections, but it requires legislation at Westminister. |
| Until the matter is resolved, assembly members and ministers are unlikely to leave their council posts. | Until the matter is resolved, assembly members and ministers are unlikely to leave their council posts. |
| Northern Ireland currently has a 26-council system which dates back to the 1970s but, after a review, former secretary of state Peter Hain opted to cut these to just seven. | |
| Sinn Fein supported that plan but the other major parties said they would be too big to preserve local identity and backed a 15-council model. | Sinn Fein supported that plan but the other major parties said they would be too big to preserve local identity and backed a 15-council model. |
| A Sinn Fein/DUP compromise of 11 new councils was then agreed. | A Sinn Fein/DUP compromise of 11 new councils was then agreed. |