The formation of a new executive in the Northern Ireland Assembly could take up to six months, according to laws designed to keep Stormont running in the event of a further Brexit crisis.
However, there may be new elections at the beginning of winter, after the DUP made it clear after Friday’s election results that it will not re-enter the executive branch without changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol, even if the final result puts it first. sociological research.
Amendments to the Northern Ireland Act in February this year are aimed at preventing the disintegration of the assembly, as happened in 2017 after a rift between Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party. They give elected representatives up to four six-week periods, a total of 24 weeks, to elect an executive who sits as a cabinet at the top of the assembly.
Senior DUP sources say he cannot re-enter Stormont with remaining inspections of goods in the Irish Sea, and Boris Johnson must be aware of the damage he says he is doing to the Good Friday Agreement.
What happens next?
The assembly must convene within eight days of the election. Expect to sit down on Tuesday or Thursday next week.
The 90 elected members must then sign the register and declare whether they are trade unionists, nationalists or “others” under the current system of power-sharing.
Unlike Scotland or Wales or the national government of the United Kingdom – where the largest party can form a government – the Assembly of Northern Ireland requires a coalition of the two largest parties with different designations to form a decentralized government.
This is known as the “anti-social” political system, designed for countries with large internal divisions.
How is the next stage organized?
The party with the largest number of seats must nominate the First Minister (FM) and the second largest party the Deputy First Minister (DFM). The posts are equal, despite the connotations of rank.
In case of a tie in the number of seats won, the first minister will go to the party with the most votes for the first preference.
Is there a place to trade horses?
Yes. Elected members may change parties until the day they sign the register. Watch the DUP or Sinn Féin try to lure independents into their camp if there is only one or two places between them.
What happens then?
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has threatened to postpone the formation of a new chief executive in Stormont after the election. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images
Once the FM and DFM are nominated, ministers are appointed through the so-called d’Hondt formula, which distributes the departments according to the relative weight of each party in the election.
The Minister of Justice is an exception and must be appointed with the support of the community.
The executive then prepares a program for the government and a related budget, which must be approved by the assembly of elected members.
how much time do they have
Initially, the parties have six weeks from the day of the first meeting to hold ministerial posts.
What happens if a party decides not to appoint a deputy prime minister?
A new crisis will follow, but a partial CEO may be lame for up to 24 weeks.
Initially, members have six weeks to form an executive director. The new Northern Ireland Act (Ministers in Departments, Elections and Petitions of Concern) 2022 allows for three consecutive six-week extensions of this period.
The DUP has refused to commit to nominating a deputy prime minister if he is in second place. He also said he would not return to the executive branch without lifting border controls on the Irish Sea.
But aren’t there laws to keep Stormont running?
Stormont collapsed in 2017 and the sharing of power did not resume for three years. But that can’t happen this time.
Former Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith, who is leading the deal for the new approach to the New Decade, has also paved the way for new laws to ensure that parties continue to govern despite their differences.
Can decisions be made if there is no first minister or deputy first minister?
Other ministers may be appointed, but their powers will be limited.
Lisa Wheaton, a research fellow at Queen’s University and a member of the UK’s Changing Europe think tank, said the amended law “provides a safety net” as “existing policies can continue”, but warned that as new solutions issues such as “budgetary or health reforms” cannot be done, “there are still many opportunities for stagnation”.
What happens if there is no fully functioning CEO after 24 weeks?
The current ministers will lose their posts and the Secretary of Northern Ireland will be legally obliged under the Northern Ireland Act to set a date for a second election. These elections must take place within 12 weeks of this announcement.
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