The First Minister of Northern Ireland reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

First Minister of Northern Ireland

The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland are the leaders of the Northern Ireland Executive, Northern Ireland's home rule government set up in the 1990s as a result of the Good Friday Agreement. The office, the executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly are currently suspended.

The First Minister is elected by the Assembly on a joint ticket with the Deputy First Minister. This ticket must obtain an overall majority in the Assembly along with a majority of both designated republicans and unionists.

This dyarchy was created to enable the leaders of the main unionist and nationalist parties to work together as a team jointly representing both communities.

Until 2002, the First Minister's post was held by David Trimble leader of the unionist Ulster Unionist Party. His deputy was the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party - initially Seamus Mallon but after his retirement, Mark Durkan.

The Northern Ireland Executive Committee and the Assembly were both suspended by the British Government and 'direct rule' from London reinstated temporarily in late 2002 due to a controversy over the failure of the Provisional IRA, the armed wing of one of the parties with seats in the Executive, Sinn Féin to disarm fully within the original timespan set down in the Belfast Agreement. While Sinn Féin argued that the process of disarming was taking place, and that the Provisional IRA was on ceasefire, this stance was challenged by the Ulster Unionist Party, the SDLP, and the British and Irish governments, who indicated that five years on from the signing of the Agreement, they wished not merely to see disarmament of the Provisional IRA, but a complete disbandment, with a confirmation that the 'war is over'. Inter-party and inter-governmental negotiations began to take place in early 2003 to try to solve the stalemate, with a view to reinstating both the Assembly and the Executive in time for the election of a new Assembly, which happened in November, 2003.

First Ministers of Northern Ireland

• David Trimble (1999-2002)

Deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland

• Seamus Mallon (1999-2001)
• Mark Durkan (2001-2002)

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