Assembly to be dissolved for election

The Northern Ireland Assembly is to be dissolved next January to prepare for a fresh Stormont election on March 7, the Government revealed today.

Northern Secretary Peter Hain’s Bill implementing the St Andrews Agreement confirmed the Assembly would be dissolved on January 30 ahead of the full restoration of power sharing.

The Bill will enable a transitional Assembly to meet from November 24.

It is not clear if the Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness would be sworn in as shadow first and deputy first ministers at next week’s meeting of the Assembly.

The legislation held out the possibility that the DUP and Sinn Féin could declare Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness as their preferred choices as First and Deputy First Ministers without actually having them nominated for serving in a shadow capacity.

The Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Bill also detailed the wording of a ministerial code to be taken on the restoration of full devolution on March 26.

Power sharing ministers would have to affirm their support for a four-part pledge of office.

It would require them to agree to promote the interests of the entire community in Northern Ireland through the Assembly towards the goal of a shared future, participate fully in all the political institutions under the Good Friday Agreement and to observe the joint nature of the offices of First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

Crucially, ministers would also be required to uphold the rule of law based on the principles of fairness, impartiality and democratic accountability, including support for policing and the courts as set out in paragraph six of the St Andrews proposals.

The pledge would also remind ministers of the contents of paragraph six which require full support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the criminal justice system and active encouragement of everyone to co-operate fully with the PSNI in tackling crime in all areas.

It also demands active support for all criminal justice and policing institutions, including the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

The Transitional Assembly which the legislation sets up will hold its first meeting on Friday week and would sit until January 30.

The 108 MLAs would continue to get paid after the dissolution of the Assembly, through an election until the first sitting of a new Assembly.