Results are starting to trickle in here in Belfast. As Northern Ireland uses the single transferrable vote system, rather than first past the post, results aren't clear cut like in Westminster elections, but rather we have a long day ahead of us in terms of seeing how different voter preferences are transferred. However, this much is becoming clear so far- Sinn Fein have performed exceptionally well in West Belfast, fighting off People Before Profit (an anti-sectarian socialist group which gave them a real run for their money in the last election)- Sinn Fein have also performed very well in South Belfast. It's a middle class, well-educated area of Belfast by-and-large and by no mens a traditional Republican heart land. So Sinn Fein's success here may indicate a strong performance across the board.- Alliance's leader Naomi Long has topped the poll in East Belfast. A highly charismatic and well-liked politician, Long has strong support among both nationalist and unionist communities and was expected to do very well.- The UUP and SDLP appear to be in real trouble across Northern Ireland, both Sinn Fein and Alliance appear to be mopping up anti-DUP protest votes, despite the UUP and SDLP being the official opposition.