Gerry Adams has announced his intention to stand down as president of Sinn Fein in 2018.

Adams, 69, was elected as his party's president for the 35th time on Saturday, and told his party conference he was "proud to have served Sinn Fein since 1983" when he was first elected.

He is one of the world's longest-serving political leaders, having led the party for 34 years.

"Leadership means knowing when it's time for change, and that time is now," he told the conference which stood to applaud him.

Stating his "complete confidence in the next generation of leaders" he said he supported holding a special conference in 2018 to elect the party's new president.


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Describing the Peace Process as "a great achievement", Mr Adams said Irish republicanism had never been stronger.

He spoke about challenges to human rights in Northern Ireland because of Brexit, and because of the deal between Theresa May and Sinn Fein's unionist opponents, the DUP.

Mr Adams said Sinn Fein would be working towards a unity referendum to be held within the next five years.

His announcement was preceded by a vote by party delegates to hold a special party conference within three months of the resignation of their leader.

Image: The Sinn Fein leader and Irish republican shook hands with Prince Charles in Galway in 2015 Image: Jan 1973: Gerry Adams (centre) in Belfast, acting as part of the IRA guard of honour at the funeral of a member who was killed whilst planting a bomb Image: May 1981: Three masked IRA men fire volleys of rifle shots over the coffin of hunger-striker Bobby Sands. Belfast. Gerry Adams can be seen in background Image: Oct 1982: Mr Adams talks to fellow Sinn Fein candidate Joe Austin at the City Hall in Belfast as they wait for results in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections Image: Dec 1982: Gerry Adams and Danny Morrison - two Sinn Fein leaders banned from Britain after the Greater London Council invited them to London Image: May 1983: Mr Adams launches Sinn Fein's party election manifesto at a news conference in Belfast Image: July 1983: Adams with Greater London Council leader Ken Livingstone at County Hall Image: Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams join mourners at the funeral of IRA man Thomas Begley in Belfast in 1993 Image: Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness lead a Republican parade in Belfast, commemorating 25 years of British troops on the streets of Northern Ireland in 1994 Image: Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill and Gerry Adams give an update on power-sharing talks earlier this year Image: Gerry Adams has always denied IRA membership Image: Gerry Adams with Jeremy Corbyn at the Commons in 1994 Image: President Clinton met Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill and Gerry Adams earlier this year Image: Gerry Adams and Michelle O'Neill carry Martin McGuinness' coffin on 21 March this year Image: At Sinn Fein's annual party conference on Saturday, Mr Adams said he would be stepping down as leader in 2018 /

According to Sky's Ireland Correspondent David Blevins, the frontrunner to succeed Mr Adams is his serving deputy Mary Lou McDonald, who is 48 and a member of the Irish Parliament.

"She's much younger, and she doesn't come with the same baggage. In that sense she illustrates the journey that Sinn Fein continues to be on towards normalisation, moving away from its past as the political wing of the IRA and more firmly establishing itself within democratic politics."