Martin McGuinness addresses a crowd outside his home in Derry tonight
MARTIN McGuinness said tonight he is heartbroken that he will not be able to stand in the upcoming Assembly election.
The 66-year announced today that he will not be standing as a candidate in the Foyle constituency in the Thursday, March 2 election because of ongoing health issues.
“It is a serious illness,” he told several hundred Sinn Fein supporters and politicians outside his home this evening, “and it has taken its toll on me but I’m not retiring from politics”
Several hundred people gathered tonight outside Mr McGuinness’s home in the Bogside area of Derry for a rally in support of him and his family.
Among those gathered were party colleagues Raymond McCartney, Elisha McCallion who is tipped to succeed him in Foyle, Martin Anderson MEP,
He suggested that he could take up an ‘ambassadorial’ role within the peace process.
In relation to the upcoming election, Mr McGuinness said that after the election there could be ‘no going back to the status quo’.
“There needs to be fundamental change,” he said.
“And so as a result of that we found ourselves in an election which is due to take place and the media’s focus turned to whether or not I would lead Sinn Fein into this election in the North and would I be a candidate.
“I had a lot of thinking to do over the last couple of weeks. I had to think of Bernie, I had to think of my family. I had to think of the doctors in our health service and nurses who have been treating me over the course of the last six weeks.
“And I had to think of the people of Derry, the people of Ireland, the people in this constituency.
“I had to think of my colleagues within Sinn Fein and I had to be honest with all of them.
“But at the end of the day I had to make a decision and I had to be honest with myself.
“And the question I had to ask myself was I physically able and capable of fighting an intensive five/six week election in the current state that I am in and the answer to that was no.
“So the only fair thing to do was which I have done today was to make it clear that I won’t unfortunately, even though it breaks my heart, that I won’t again have an opportunity to ask the people of Foyle to support me in what will be a critical election to strength the Sinn Fein mandate.”
Sinn Fein supporters outside Mr McGuinness’s home in Derry this evening
Looking frail, Mr McGuinness said he would still remain involved in politics.
“I am not retiring, I will be a republican until the day I die and will work for Sinn Fein until the day I die.
“Go raibh mile, mile maith agat,” he said.
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