Brussels, 06/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The president of the GUE/NGL group at the European Parliament, French MEP Francis Wurtz, recently reaffirmed full backing for the Northern Irish Republican party Sinn Fein, and its figurehead Gerry Adams. Wurtz had travelled to Dublin on 3 March to attend Sinn Fein's congress, where he expressed 'deep solidarity' with Sinn Fein ahead of the elections which will be held in Northern Ireland on Wednesday 7 March. In a press release, Francis Wurtz comments that the elections will be a crucial stage in the Good Friday Peace Agreement, noting that all eyes will be on the other partners in the peace process, hoping that they will seize this historic opportunity to ensure lasting peace. He added that the hope of a united Ireland would now make progress in a political framework and in peace. The elections are for the 108 seats in the Northern Ireland regional assembly, suspended since October 2002. The Unionist party DUP (which wants Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK) is currently leading opinion polls with a quarter of votes. Sinn Fein, a Catholic party wanting Northern Ireland to be re-united with the south of the island, is just behind the DUP in the polls. The two parties will have until 26 March to form a government. In the event of failure to reach agreement, Dublin would have a greater role in managing the province even though it would be directly administered by London. (bc)