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Members of the 2nd Northern Ireland Assembly

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Jurisdiction
  
Northern Ireland

Members
  
108

Election
  
2003 assembly election

Meeting place
  
Parliament Buildings, Stormont

Term
  
15 May 2006 – 29 January 2007

Government
  
Executive of the 2nd Assembly (Direct Rule)

The Northern Ireland Assembly elected in November 2003, never met as such, since Northern Ireland's devolved government and representative institutions were suspended following the re-introduction of direct rule by the United Kingdom government on 14 October 2002.

However, the persons elected to the Assembly at the 2003 Assembly Election were called together on 15 May 2006 under the Northern Ireland Act 2006 for the purpose of electing a First Minister and Deputy First Minister and choosing the members of an Executive (before 25 November 2006) as a preliminary to the restoration of devolved government.

The following is a list of all members of the Assembly, or MLAs ("Members of the Legislative Assembly").

Changes

  • Jeffrey Donaldson, Nora Beare and Arlene Foster were elected as members of the UUP but resigned from the party on December 18, 2003 and joined the DUP on January 5, 2004.
  • Mary Nelis of Sinn Féin resigned from the Assembly and was replaced by Raymond McCartney (also Sinn Féin) with effect from July 15, 2004.
  • Bairbre de Brún of Sinn Féin resigned from the Assembly and was replaced by Sue Ramsey (also Sinn Féin) with effect from November 29, 2004.
  • Paul Berry was suspended from the DUP following an internal disciplinary panel meeting and media coverage of his private life on July 4, 2005.
  • Francie Molloy was suspended from Sinn Féin on November 23, 2005 following disagreements about reforms of local government.
  • Francie Molloy was subsequently readmitted to Sinn Féin.
  • Paul Berry resigned outright from the DUP following legal challenges on February 10, 2006.
  • Eileen Bell, Alliance, was appointed Speaker of the Assembly on April 10, 2006.
  • David Ervine announced on May 13, 2006 that whilst remaining leader of the PUP, he would join with the UUP Assembly Members in forming the "Ulster Unionist Party Assembly Group". The Presiding Officer (Speaker) of the Assembly, Eileen Bell, MLA indicated at the first meeting of the 'shadow' Assembly (May 15, 2006) that she would take legal advice before ruling on whether the overall group qualified as a party recognised in the Assembly. On September 11, 2006 Bell announced that the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly Group was not a Political Party within the meaning of the UK legislation governing Party Politics and so the alliance of Ervine and the UUP is not recognised as a grouping within the assembly for the purposes of D'Hondt.
  • Michael Ferguson, Sinn Féin, died on September 25, 2006. The vacancy remained unfilled on the dissolution of the Assembly.
  • Patricia Lewsley, Social Democratic and Labour Party, resigned to take up the position of Commissioner for Children and Young People, Northern Ireland. The vacancy was filled by Marietta Farrell.
  • David Ervine, the sole Progressive Unionist Party MLA, died on 8 January 2007. The vacancy was filled by Dawn Purvis.
  • Geraldine Dougan resigned from Sinn Féin on 15 January 2007.
  • Davy Hyland announced his resignation from Sinn Féin on 2 February 2007.

    • References

    Members of the 2nd Northern Ireland Assembly Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA