South Belfast: Former Belfast Lord Mayor Mr Alex Maskey of Sinn Féin will be elected today in the predominantly middle-class South Belfast constituency, just two years after he transferred from his base in West Belfast.
"There was a lot of offensive stuff written then," he told The Irish Times. "Who did this guy from the ghettoes think he was, going into a middle-class area?"
He was highly regarded after his performance as Lord Mayor. "I detected a very strong sense of goodwill from people on the ground," he said. "People were prepared to give me a chance."
Mr Maskey, who won 3,933 first-preferences, added: "I am very pleased. It isn't there yet, but it's looking okay."In 1998, Sinn Féin won just 8.4 per cent of the South Belfast vote.
Although the final counts in the King's Hall in Balmoral will not finish until later today, Ms Monica McWilliams of the Women's Coalition, with 2,150 votes after the first count, is set to lose her battle for the last of the six seats.
The UUP's vote in the constituency held up with Mr Michael McGimpsey polling 5,389 first preferences. Mr McGimpsey's surplus transferred heavily to one of his two running mates, another outgoing MLA, Mr Esmond Birnie, who also received 783 transfers on the eighth count from the other UUP candidate, Mr John Hiddleston.
The SDLP faces a major fight to hold on to its two seats. Ms Carmel Hanna, who had been regarded as the weaker of the party's two candidates, performed strongly with 3,910 first preferences.
Her running mate, Dr Alasdair McDonnell, who secured 3,266 first preferences, should easily overcome the challenge of Ms McWilliams, being more than 1,000 votes ahead after the fifth count.
By the seventh count shortly after 8 p.m. last night, Dr McDonnell stood at 3,350 votes.
The SDLP's first preference vote is down by more than 3,000 on the Westminster elections.
"Some of our voters didn't defect to Sinn Féin, they just didn't bother to turn out," said one party worker. However, its campaign was regarded as lacklustre - Sinn Féin canvassed the leafy Malone Road three times, compared with just one showing from the SDLP.
The outgoing DUP MLA, Mr Mark Robinson, is expected to take the fourth seat, following his 3,991 first preferences.
The Alliance Party's vote in South Belfast was badly affected in line with trends elsewhere.