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NORTHERN IRELAND
COUNTRY Northern Ireland
(Part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
ELECTION TYPE Devolved Assembly election
DATE November 26, 2003
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At stake in this election:
  • 108 seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Description of government structure:
  • Head of State: Queen ELIZABETH II
  • Head of Government: Prime Minister Tony BLAIR
  • Assembly: Northern Ireland has an assembly which consists of 108 seats.*

    *Note: Due to conflict between the political parties in parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended on October 2002.

Description of electoral system:
  • Six representatives are elected in each of the region’s 18 constituencies via proportional representation. Members serve five year terms.
Results from the parliamentary race:
  • Party: Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
    Leader: Rev. Ian PAISLEY
    Seats won in this election: 30
    Seats won in last election: 20
  • Party: Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)
    Leader: David TRIMBLE
    Seats won in this election: 27
    Seats won in last election: 28

  • Party: Sinn Féin (SF)
    Leader: Gerry ADAMS
    Seats won in this election: 24
    Seats won in last election: 18
  • Party: Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP)
    Leader: Mark DURKAN
    Seats won in this election: 18
    Seats won in last election: 24
  • Party: Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI)
    Leader: David FORD
    Seats won in this election: 6
    Seats won in last election: 6
  • Party: UK Unionist Party (UKUP)
    Leader: Bob MCCARTNEY
    Seats won in this election: 1
    Seats won in last election: 5
  • Party: Progressive Unionist Party (PUP)
    Leader: David ERVINE
    Seats won in this election: 1
    Seats won in last election: 2
When was the last election?
  • The last election in Northern Ireland Assembly was held on June 25, 1998.
Population and number of registered voters:
  • Population: 1.7 million
  • Number of registered voters: 1,097,526
Is there anything unique about this upcoming election that would be of interest to an international audience?
  • On October 14, 2002 the Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended and formally dissolved on April 28, 2003 due to irreconcilable differences between the Unionist and republican parties in the assembly.
  • The UUP and the Sinn Fein broke off talks on a power sharing agreement due to differences over the issue of arms decommissioning by the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ELECTION SYSTEMS (IFES)
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: IFES ELECTIONGUIDE ONLINEexternal link
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