Martin McGuinness, former IRA leader turned peacemaker, has confirmed he will not stand in the Northern Ireland Assembly election, APA reports quoting CNN.
He quit as deputy first minister in a row over a botched green energy scheme, sparking an election on 2 March.
He had been in the post since entering NI's power-sharing assembly in 2007 with ex-political enemy Ian Paisley.
Mr McGuinness, 66, has been ill for a number of weeks and said this was a factor in his decision.