Martin McGuinness stands down as Sinn Féin leader in Northern Ireland

He will not stand in the election...

Martin McGuinness has said that he will not seek re-election in the forthcoming Northern Ireland assembly elections. The former IRA leader is currently undergoing treatment for a rare heart condition and has said that his health makes him incapable of campaigning for election in the coming weeks. He said: "I am stepping down from my role to make way for a new leader of Sinn Fein in the North. "Over the last ten years I have worked tirelessly to make power-sharing work. "The institutions are now in a deep crisis as a result of recent events and we are facing into an election when the people will have their say. "After long and careful consideration, I have decided that it is time for a new generation of republicans to lead us into this election and the negotiations that will follow." The 66-year-old quit as Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland over a controversial green energy scheme prompting an election on March 2. McGuinness said that he'd planned to step down in May this year which would have been the ten year anniversary of McGuinness entering NI's power-sharing assembly with ex-political enemy Ian Paisley. "My obvious health issues are being addressed by a superb team of national health service doctors and nurses," McGuinness said. "But I want to be open and honest with my friends and colleagues in Sinn Fein, with the electorate of Foyle and with the wider community beyond my own constituency. "I also want to be fair to my family and to the teams of carers who are doing their best to provide me with the treatment I now require to deal with this very serious medical condition which I am very determined to overcome. "Unfortunately, I am not physically able to continue in my current role and have therefore decided to make way for a new leader. "