Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said he will step aside and that all bar one of his Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ministers will also resign amid a crisis over an IRA-linked murder.
The DUP, the province’s largest pro-British party, failed to win support from rival parties to adjourn the power-sharing administration earlier on Thursday and Robinson had said his ministers would resign if London did not agree to suspend parliament.
“In light of the decision to continue with business as usual in the Assembly, I am therefore standing aside as first minister and other DUP ministers will resign with immediate effect with the exception of Arlene Foster,” Robinson told reporters, adding that the British government could still suspend.
“I have asked Arlene to remain in her post as finance minister and acting first minister to ensure that nationalists and republicans are not able to take financial and other decisions that may be detrimental to Northern Ireland.”
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