Mallon reinstated and ministers nominated at Stormont

Seamus Mallon has been reinstated as Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland after the assembly voted 71 to 28 in favour of his appointment. In another historic development at Stormont, all ten ministers in the power-sharing executive have been nominated and taken their pledges of office. They are, in order of appointment: Sir Reg Empey (UUP), Minister for Enterprise Trade and Investment; Mark Durkan (SDLP), Finance and Personnel Minister; Peter Robinson (DUP), Minister for Regional Development; Martin McGuinness (SF), Minister for Education; Sam Foster (UUP), Minister for the Environment; Sean Farren (SDLP), Minister for Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment. At this point the DUP leader, Ian Paisley asked for an adjournment for fifteen minutes. After the adjournment Nigel Dodds of the DUP was appointed Minister for Social Development and the Ulster Unionist Michael McGimpsey became Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure. Bairbre de Brun of Sinn Fein became Minister Designate for Health and Social Services and Brid Rogers of the SDLP secured the Agriculture portfolio. The Ulster Unionist Leader, David Trimble will head the Executive as First Minister.

This executive will place Unionist and Sinn Fein ministers side-by-side in the first devolved government in the North for thirty years. The Assembly spent most of the afternoon wrangling over the proposed reinstatement of Seamus Mallon as deputy first minister. Mr Mallon had resigned from the post in July after an attempt to form a devolved government foundered when First Minister David Trimble and his Ulster Unionist colleagues boycotted the session. Hard-line unionists, opposed to the Good Friday Agreement, notably the DUP, had objected to Mr Mallon's reappointment. The voters were 71 in favour and 28 against. There were nine abstentions including Roy Beggs of the Ulster Unionists.

This afternoon, the assembly was initially adjourned for fifteen minutes to consider a change in standing orders by the Northern Secretary to facilitate Mr Mallon's reinstatement. The Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams, appealed to the Assembly to support the motion. He said today could be the beginning of the end of begrudgery. DUP deputy leader, Peter Robinson, challenged it, claiming that Mr Mallon's right to take up office hinged on whether or not he had resigned or only offered his resignation. As the debate entered its second hour, Monica McWilliams, of the Women's Coalition, gave her backing to the SDLP deputy leader, saying he was vital to the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. The motion was passed and Mr Mallon accepted his reinstatement.

The Irish Government has welcomed the successful nomination of ministers to the new Northern Executive. A spokesman said this evening that it was happy to see normal parliamentary politics proceeding in the north, and looked forward to the introduction of devolution on Thursday. The Labour Party leader, Ruairí Quinn said it was a good day for democracy, political accountability, and for the island of Ireland. The SDLP leader, John Hume, said it represented an historic development.

The first full meeting of the Northern Executive is scheduled to take place on Thursday morning after the British Government's devolution order takes effect at midnight on Wednesday.