Electoral Panorama / Panorama Electoral

In a historic day for Northern Ireland, a new power-sharing executive headed by the province's main Protestant and Catholic parties, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein (SF; We Ourselves), has taken office today, with DUP leader Ian Paisley as first minister and Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein as deputy first minister.

DUP and SF consolidated their position as the province's two largest parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly election held last March, eclipsing their more moderate rivals, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), which nonetheless will also take part in the new power-sharing government.