McGuinness steps aside in North to run Presidential campaign

Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness will today step aside as Deputy First Minister in the North to allow him to run in the Presidential election.

He is expected to temporarily hand over his position to the party's education minister John O'Dowd.

Mr Mc Guinness was officially ratified yesterday as his party's candidate for next month's election.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is set to meet his Deputy leader Eamonn O Cuiv later in an effort to resolve the row over the presidential election strategy that has split the party.