Enterprise Minister, Arlene Foster, who gave up her own DUP seat when appointed DoE Minister shortly after the 2005 local government elections, will be resuming her duties as an Enniskillen Councillor following last week's success in the by-election created by the death of her Party colleague, Joe Dodds.

The acrimony between the DUP and the UUP surfaced immediately after her victory was announced, the successful candidate accusing the UUP of wasting £20,000 of ratepayers' money by objecting to the co-option of a DUP nominee, given that the same result ensued.

"I wanted this election to be a good one for the late Joe Dodds. We have always said as a Party that this election should not have taken place, that it was a big risk, but we have been able to secure the seat for the memory of Joe Dodds who was a great servant of this community, and I think it is a good testament that we have been able to retain the seat for him."

Mrs Foster was also outraged that her ability to combine the roles of Minister and Councillor with being a mother had been called into question by the UUP whom she accused of having run a negative campaign.

She remarked: "I thought I would never see the day that my children would be brought into an election. People should reflect on that and hang their heads in shame."

Earlier, her nearest rival, the UUP's Basil Johnston was heckled by DUP supporters when he stated that Mrs Foster was elected on UUP transfers. To DUP shouts of, 'it was the Unionist people', Mr Johnston insisted, 'she has been elected by the Unionist electorate, by nobody else'.

The count went to the third stage and, in the final analysis, the placings were - Arlene Foster (DUP), 3,165, Debbie Coyle (Sinn Féin). Mr Johnston, being the lowest in stage 2, was eliminated and his transfer (1,171 votes) brought Mrs Foster clear of Ms Coyle.

Debbie Coyle, a care assistant locally, had in fact forged ahead at stage 2, attracting 511 transfers from three candidates who were all eliminated together, Rosemary Flanagan (SDLP) who had 739 first preferences, Dr Kumar Kamble (Alliance) 231 and Karen McHugh (Independent) 158.

Those transfers placed Ms Coyle in pole position on 2,327, ahead of Mrs Foster on 1,994 and Basil Johnston 1640 but, as already noted, following his exclusion, his transfers pushed his DUP rival ahead of Ms Coyle.

The contest had been touted as a head to head between Sinn Féin and the DUP, the latter being the punters' favourite due to Mrs Foster's high profile as a government Minister. In fact, Mr Johnston admitted afterwards to the 'Herald' he would have fancied his chances against a lesser known candidate.

"I am disappointed but I am humoured with my performance. And, I still insist that Arlene Foster got elected on Ulster Unionist transfers. It was an unusual election because there were so many DUP high-profile figures floating around on polling day, all trying to do their bit at the gates of polling stations.

"I was up against a big hitter, a Minister in the government and she had the profile and the publicity which I didn't have or get. In fact, one of the other Party workers (not UUP) said to me he thought I was very unfairly covered in one of the local newspapers."

But, Mr Johnston denied he had ever made any personal attacks on Mrs Foster on the basis that, as a mother, she would not be able to combine her Ministerial duties with that of a Councillor.

"That was a point that cropped up in a personalised letter, and I publicly distanced myself from those comments."

As for his 1,171 transfers that went to Arlene Foster, he said he had left the question of lower preference votes to his own voters to decide on.

"In the mock ballot papers, we loosely said we would urge voters to consider all the other Unionist candidates but we didn't prescribe any person in particular, not to the extent that the DUP did with me. They were very specific that my voters would give Arlene Foster their number 2's."

Sinn Fein's Debbie Coyle, and her team had their eye on the DUP and, also, on the damage that the Independent candidate, Karen McHugh might do to them. She is the 18-year old daughter of Councillor Gerry McHugh who was elected as a Sinn Féin member for Enniskillen in 2005, and now sits as an Independent member, having resigned from the Party over policy.

In the event, the young Queen's student came bottom of the poll, leaving Sinn Féin to rue the poor turn-out, 50.69 per cent compared to 67.77 per cent for the Enniskillen Electoral Ward in the May 2005 local government elections.

"Disappointed not to have won the seat", Ms Coyle said afterwards, "but very pleased that our percentage vote has increased and that support for Sinn Féin in Enniskillen is still strong."

The SDLP's Rosemary Flanagan said a 50 per cent turn-out was not a satisfactory situation but, while she felt there was some merit in making voting a statutory civic requirement, she preferred that people would voluntarily recognise that.

And, she felt the poor turn-out reflected what she called, 'the current shenanigans' at Stormont, with no real progress made in addressing people's real needs.