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Michelle O'Neill was re-elected as Sinn Féin's vice-president last weekend. PA Wire/PA Images
contest
Michelle O’Neill retained Sinn Fein vice presidency with two thirds of vote
Michelle O’Neill was re-elected as the party’s vice-president last weekend.
LAST UPDATE | 22 Nov 2019
SINN FÉIN HAS revealed that Michelle O’Neill held on to her post as the party’s vice president with two thirds of the vote.
The party initially refused to disclose how many votes O’Neill and John O’Dowd received in the race for the position.
The outcome was announced on Saturday at the party’s Ard Fheis in Derry but the breakdown of the vote among party members was not, prompting accusations of a lack of transparency.
Sinn Fein president Mary-Lou McDonald insisted the vote was in line with party procedures.
“The result is known, you all know the result, the process is an internal one and it’s now concluded,” she said.
However Danny Morrison, the party’s former publicity director, revealed the voting figures in a tweet on Friday morning.
Sinn Fein release result of contest. pic.twitter.com/IpLRmUMQQe
— Danny Morrison (@molloy1916) November 22, 2019
According to the post, O’Neill received 493 votes to O’Dowd’s 241, indicating she had taken 67% of the vote, compared to 32% for O’Dowd.
Former Stormont education minister O’Dowd signalled his ambition to replace O’Neill in the senior leadership role in August.
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