This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6720647.stm
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Rodgers gets city's top civic job | Rodgers gets city's top civic job |
| (about 10 hours later) | |
| Ulster Unionist Jim Rodgers has been elected as Belfast's new lord mayor. | Ulster Unionist Jim Rodgers has been elected as Belfast's new lord mayor. |
| Mr Rodgers, a councillor for the Victoria Ward, was previously the city's civic head in 2001. He succeeds the SDLP's Pat McCarthy in the post. | Mr Rodgers, a councillor for the Victoria Ward, was previously the city's civic head in 2001. He succeeds the SDLP's Pat McCarthy in the post. |
| Meanwhile, Ballymena Borough Council has a new nationalist deputy mayor. | |
| PJ McAvoy of the SDLP is the first nationalist to hold the post since the DUP took control of the council. DUP representative Maurice Mills took the top post. | |
| In Belfast there had been speculation that a Sinn Fein councillor would become the party's second lord mayor of the city. | |
| Although it is the largest party it does not have a majority and needed the support of other parties to get their candidate, Tierna Cunningham, elected. | Although it is the largest party it does not have a majority and needed the support of other parties to get their candidate, Tierna Cunningham, elected. |
| Party angry | Party angry |
| However, the SDLP gave their support to Mr Rodgers at Monday's council meeting. | However, the SDLP gave their support to Mr Rodgers at Monday's council meeting. |
| Sinn Fein's Paul Maskey expressed anger at the SDLP for not backing his party's candidate. | Sinn Fein's Paul Maskey expressed anger at the SDLP for not backing his party's candidate. |
| "The decision lies at the behest of the SDLP," he said. | "The decision lies at the behest of the SDLP," he said. |
| "We have met with the SDLP over many weeks to discuss the mayorality of this council and yet the Ulster Unionists come up 30 minutes before this council meeting and cut a deal." | "We have met with the SDLP over many weeks to discuss the mayorality of this council and yet the Ulster Unionists come up 30 minutes before this council meeting and cut a deal." |
| However, the SDLP's Alban Maginness said republicans had voted against two of their candidates in the past, including outgoing Lord Mayor Pat McCarthy. | |
| "What Sinn Fein are complaining about is not the fact that the SDLP rotates but rather the sequence that the SDLP rotates and they want to dictate that and we are saying that we will make our own minds up about the sequence." | "What Sinn Fein are complaining about is not the fact that the SDLP rotates but rather the sequence that the SDLP rotates and they want to dictate that and we are saying that we will make our own minds up about the sequence." |
| He added that they would seriously consider supporting a Sinn Fein candidate next year. The SDLP's Bernie Kelly was elected deputy mayor after receiving support from the UUP and some DUP backing. | |
| Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey, now an assembly member, was the party's first lord mayor in the history of the city in 2002. | Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey, now an assembly member, was the party's first lord mayor in the history of the city in 2002. |
| The first lord mayor of Belfast was Daniel Dixon, who was elected in 1892. | The first lord mayor of Belfast was Daniel Dixon, who was elected in 1892. |