The First Minister and deputy First Minister are the joint heads of the Northern Ireland Executive and have overall responsibility for the running of the Executive Office. The two positions have the same governmental power; despite the name, the deputy First Minister is not subordinate to the First Minister. Created under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, both were initially nominated and appointed by members of the Northern Ireland Assembly on a joint ticket by a cross-community vote, using consociational principles. That process was changed following the 2006 St Andrews Agreement.

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Size: 5184px × 3456px
Location: Stormont Castle, Belfast, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © Paul McErlane / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: 2016, arlene, belfast, castle, foster, ireland, martin, mcguinness, northern, nov, stormont, time