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 Northern Ireland Executive is the (currently suspended) executive body for Northern Ireland, answerable to the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... Northern Ireland is an administrative region and one of four parts of the United Kingdom. ... Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was signed in Belfast on April 10, 1998 by the British and Irish Governments and endorsed by most Northern Ireland political parties. ... 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. ...

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 nationalists 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. In the Irish context, Unionists form a group of largely (though not exclusively) Protestant people in Ireland, of all social classes, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which the Northern Ireland provincial state created in...

Until 2002, the First Minister's post was held by David Trimble leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. Initially his deputy was the deputy leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, Seamus Mallon. He was succeeded upon his retirement by the new SDLP leader, Mark Durkan. 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Right Honourable David Trimble (born October 15, 1944) is a Northern Ireland politician, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), former First Minister of Northern Ireland, MP and MLA. He shared the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize with John Hume of the Social Democratic and Labour Party. ... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP) is a political party in Northern Ireland representing the unionist community, and was the party of government in Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. ... The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP — Irish: Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre) is the smaller of the two major nationalist parties in Northern Ireland. ... Seamus Mallon (born 17 August 1936) is Northern Ireland politician and former Deputy Leader of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party. ... Mark Durkan (born 1960) is a politician in Northern Ireland and the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, since November 2001, succeeding John Hume. ...

First Ministers of Northern Ireland

• David Trimble (1999-2002)

The Right Honourable David Trimble (born October 15, 1944) is a Northern Ireland politician, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), former First Minister of Northern Ireland, MP and MLA. He shared the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize with John Hume of the Social Democratic and Labour Party. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland

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

Seamus Mallon (born 17 August 1936) is Northern Ireland politician and former Deputy Leader of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mark Durkan (born 1960) is a politician in Northern Ireland and the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, since November 2001, succeeding John Hume. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk) (official website)