Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is a 108 member legislative body for Northern Ireland that sits at Stormont with powers devolved to it from the Westminster parliament. It is created as a power sharing body, so that every party is represented in the executive body of the assembly in numbers according to their numerical strength in the assembly as a whole.
The assembly was created as part of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 and the first election to it was held on June 25, 1998. The initial executive was headed by David Trimble as First Minister. On December 2, 1999 the United Kingdom devolved political power in Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Executive. [1]
The assembly was suspended on October 14, 2002 as problems with the practicalities of power sharing mounted. The assembly dissolved on April 28, 2003 as it was scheduled to, but the elections due the following month were postponed by the British Labour government. These elections were held on November 26.
The 108 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are elected from 18 multi-member constituencies (the same constituencies used for Westminster elections) by the Single Transferable Vote.
The current state of the parties in the Assembly is as follows (1998 figures are in italics):
Note: Since the election, three Ulster Unionist Assembly members have moved to the Democratic Unionists.
1
|
11
|
21
|
31
|
11
|
21
|
4
|
14
|
24
|
10
|
2
|
2
|
12
|
22
|
32
|
12
|
22
|
5
|
15
|
1
|
11
|
3
|
3
|
13
|
23
|
33
|
13
|
23
|
6
|
16
|
2
|
12
|
4
|
4
|
14
|
24
|
4
|
14
|
24
|
7
|
17
|
3
|
13
|
5
|
5
|
15
|
25
|
5
|
15
|
25
|
8
|
18
|
4
|
14
|
6
|
6
|
16
|
26
|
6
|
16
|
26
|
9
|
19
|
5
|
15
|
1
|
7
|
17
|
27
|
7
|
17
|
27
|
10
|
20
|
6
|
16
|
2
|
8
|
18
|
28
|
8
|
18
|
1
|
11
|
21
|
7
|
17
|
3
|
9
|
19
|
29
|
9
|
19
|
2
|
12
|
22
|
8
|
18
|
|
10
|
20
|
30
|
10
|
20
|
3
|
13
|
23
|
9
|
1
|
See also
External Links
Referenced By
2003 in politics | Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | Andrew Hunter | Andrew Robert Frederick Hunter | As of November 2003 | Belfast Agreement | Bob McCartney | British House of Commons | Constituency | Democratic Unionist Party | Direct Rule | English Parliament | Gerry Adams | Good Friday Agreement | Gregory Campbell | Gregory Lloyd Campbell | House of Commons (UK) | Ian Paisley | Ian Paisley, jr | Ian Paisley Jnr | Ian R.K. Paisley | Ian Richard Kyle Paisley | Ireland in the 20th Century | Iris Robinson | January 2004 | Jeffrey Donaldson | John Roy Beggs | Judicial Committee of the Privy Council | List of political parties in the United Kingdom | Loyalist | Loyalists | Martin McGuiness | Martin McGuinness | Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly | Michelle Gildernew | National Assembly for Wales | Nigel Dodds | Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland Assembly Election, 1998 | Northern Ireland Assembly Election, 2003 | Northern Ireland Assembly Elections, 2003 | Northern Ireland Executive | Northern Ireland Unionist Party | Northern Ireland Women's Coalition | Northern Ireland Womens Coalition | November 2003 | Parliament of England | Pat Doherty | Peter David Robinson | Peter Robinson (politician) | Political parties | Political party | Politicial party | Progressive Unionist Party | Region (England) | Region of England | Regions in England | Regions of England | Robert McCartney | Roy Beggs | Sinn Fein | Sinn Féin | Stormont | UKUP | UK House of Commons | UK Unionist Party | UK political parties | Ulster Democratic Party | Ulster Democratic Unionist Party | United Kingdom House of Commons | United Kingdom Legislation | United Kingdom Unionist Party | United Unionist Assembly Party | Welsh Assembly
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