EDWIN POOTS will serve the remaining two-and-half-weeks of the assembly mandate as MLA for South Belfast having yesterday been co-opted as a replacement for the late Christopher Stalford.
The agriculture minister, whose future as an MLA has been in question due to difficulties finding a constituency to stand in, will also be the DUP's sole candidate in South Belfast on May 5.
In 2017, the party ran two candidates in South Belfast, with Mr Stalford emerging successful ahead of Emma Little-Pengelly, who became the constituency's MP some three months later.
Mr Poots said he was making the move from Lagan Valley at the request of Mr Stalford's family.
The 39-year-old father of four died suddenly last month.
Mr Poots' candidacy was announced yesterday by DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, whose bid to stand for the assembly in Lagan Valley forced the agriculture minister and sitting MLA to stand elsewhere.
Two of the current five MLAs in Lagan Valley are DUP representatives – Mr Poots and former first minister Paul Givan.
Mr Poots had hoped to make way for his party leader by running in South Down but failed to win support from the DUP's ruling executive.
The party was bound by the assembly rules to name Mr Stalford's successor within seven days of the vacancy arising.
Sir Jeffrey said Mr Poots would "continue following in Christopher's footsteps in representing the people of this constituency".
When asked if he would now be co-opted into Mr Poots' seat in Lagan Valley where he is currently MP, Sir Jeffrey responded: "In Lagan Valley we haven't yet completed our selection process. We will take that forward over the next few days. I have indicated my intention to stand in the assembly elections and that remains the position.
"We will need to select a candidate to replace Edwin in the assembly but that decision has not yet been made so I'm not in a position to announce what will happen in that.
"I don't want to pre-empt the outcome of the next stage of the process which is to select a replacement for Edwin and then to select our candidates for the assembly."
Sir Jeffrey said the party has almost concluded its selection process ahead the May 5 poll.
"We just now need to select candidates in Lagan Valley and then we will be in a position to ratify all of our candidates," he said.
"I am confident that we will go forward as a united team into the assembly elections, that we will have a strong field of candidates across Northern Ireland ... we're out to win this election."
Mr Poots described feeling regret at "standing here of necessity" following Mr Stalford's death.
"I stand here with a lot of regret, we have lost a good colleague and friend in Christopher Stalford – we are standing here of necessity, more than anything else," he said.
"Last week the (Stalford) family spoke to me and asked me would I consider taking on the role of MLA for south Belfast and it was on that basis that the party asked me to take on this responsibility. I have a hard act to follow."
The agriculture minister said he regretted leaving Lagan Valley, where he has served as an MLA since 1998.
"Sometimes you have to make hard decisions and that is the decision I have made and I believe it is a decision that will bring some degree of comfort to the family that they have someone with the same values as Christopher representing this constituency," he said.
