Paul Givan and Michelle O’Neill have accepted their nominations as First and Deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland, despite significant opposition from senior DUP members over the process.
DUP leader Edwin Poots formally nominated Lagan Valley MLA Mr Givan at a special sitting of the Assembly on Thursday.
Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy nominated his party colleague Ms O’Neill to take up the role of Deputy First Minister.
Mr Givan thanked his party leader for having “confidence in me”.
He told the Assembly he shares the same “drive and determination” to serve the people of Northern Ireland as the party leaders before him.
He added: “There is much goodwill from the public for this place to work.
“We must recognise there is more in common than separates us. Northern Ireland is a special place.”
DUP turmoil
The process went ahead despite a morning of uncertainty and unease from senior DUP figures who questioned their party leader’s decision to proceed.
It is understood a significant majority of DUP MLAs and MPs voted against Mr Poots’s decision to nominate a First Minister.
The vote was taken after a heated internal party meeting at Stormont ahead of the nomination process in the Assembly.
The PA news agency understands that Mr Poots and First Minister designate Mr Givan had left the room before the vote took place.
One senior party source at the meeting described the atmosphere to PA.
“Dreadful. Utterly dreadful. Never experienced the like of it,” said the source.
On Thursday morning, party MPs and peers sent an urgent email to Mr Poots urging him to hold off nominating Mr Givan until he explained his decision to reconstitute the powersharing administration after Sinn Féin secured a key concession on Irish language laws.
A post-midnight announcement by the UK government committing to pass the stalled laws at Westminster in the autumn, if they are not moved at the Assembly in the interim, was enough to convince Sinn Féin to drop its threat not to nominate a Deputy First Minister as joint head of the devolved Executive.
The development came after a night of intensive talks involving Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis and DUP and Sinn Féin delegations in Belfast.
An email sent to Mr Poots, a copy of which has been seen by the PA news agency, is signed by defeated leadership candidate Jeffrey Donaldson, party chairman Lord Morrow, senior MPs Sammy Wilson, Gregory Campbell and Gavin Robinson, former deputy leader Lord Dodds and a number of other senior members.
In total seven of the DUP’s eight MPs signed the email, with Ian Paisley being the exception. The party’s five peers also signed it.
Many of those who signed the email would have supported Mr Donaldson in his leadership bid, though some, like MP Paul Girvan, supported Mr Poots’s candidacy.
The email read: “We note the announcement made by the Secretary of State in the early hours of this morning that both you and the Sinn Féin leadership have agreed to nominate a First Minister and deputy First Minister on the basis that Westminster will legislate on the Irish language and other matters if the Assembly fails to do so by October. We are also in receipt of your email this morning regarding this agreement.
“We are very concerned about this development and therefore, are urgently requesting that you meet with us as DUP Members of Parliament and peers to explain the basis of your agreement with the Secretary of State and Sinn Fein before any further steps are taken in this process, including the nomination of a First Minister. Assuming you will have prior consultation with your Assembly Group, we would be happy to join this meeting.
“You have often spoken of the need for accountability and transparency within our party and it is now essential that you consult with us as representatives of the people of Northern Ireland before you proceed further. We look forward to hearing from you thereto.”
'Monumental' challenges
Speaking following her nomination, Ms O’Neill said: “We have monumental challenges ahead which require the same unity of purpose, the same urgency as we tackle the totally unacceptable hospital waiting lists which have left people crucified in pain and without hope.
“We must immediately set about addressing this issue together. We must mount a case to secure the funding from the British Government to rebuild and transform our incredible public health service.
“Our people, and the heroic health service workers we are blessed with, deserve nothing less. Nothing less.”
The Tánaiste welcomed the agreement reached in the North to appoint the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
Leo Varadkar told the Dáíl the agreement on the Irish Language Act was a “long time coming” and that it “should not threaten anyone’s identity”.
Mr Varadkar said: “I want to welcome the fact that we have agreement on an Irish Language Act going ahead as well as increased legal protections and rights for Ulster Scots speakers.
“This should not threaten anyone’s identity. It’s supported by the majority of parties and the majority of people in Northern Ireland. There’s a Welsh Act in Wales, the Scottish Language Act in Scotland and Irish language acts here and it has been a long time coming.
“A commitment made by sovereign governments in St Andrews a long time ago, a commitment made by the parties in Northern Ireland to each other, and I look forward to seeing everyone honour their commitments in regard to language rights and language legislation, within the next year.”
