Lo takes seat for South Belfast

Anna Lo celebrates election victory with colleague Naomi Long

An Alliance candidate has become the first person from an ethnic minority background to take a seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Anna Lo, who is the chief executive of the Chinese Welfare Association, was elected in South Belfast.

Ms Lo, originally from Hong Kong, secured the fourth highest vote in the constituency, with 3,829 first preference votes.

She said her decision to stand had been an extension of her community work.

She said she also wanted to give a voice to Chinese people who never felt they had any part to play in Northern Ireland politics.

She said she hoped that indigenous voters who were fed up with "tribal politics", would give her their support.

Speaking before her election, Ms Lo said there was a growing need for "a diversity of society in politics".

She said she was determined "to be much more than a candidate for ethnic minorities".

Twenty-five different nationalities registered to vote in the assembly poll.

More than 6,200 migrants from EU countries such as Poland, Lithuania and Romania signed up to the most recent electoral register.

However, that did not include thousands of Chinese people who live in Northern Ireland.