How many elected members make up the Northern Ireland Assembly?

The Northern Ireland Assembly, established as part of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, is a key institution in Northern Ireland's political landscape. The Assembly's primary role is to legislate on a range of devolved issues, meaning powers transferred from the UK Parliament to Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement aimed to bring an end to decades of conflict known as "The Troubles," and power-sharing is a central element of the Assembly's structure. To ensure broad representation and prevent dominance by any single political party or community, the Assembly has a specific number of elected members. Initially, there were 108 members, with each of the 18 parliamentary constituencies electing six members using proportional representation. While the number of members per constituency was reduced to five in 2017, bringing the total to 90, the original number of 108 is a significant figure in understanding the Assembly's history and the initial design for inclusive governance following the Good Friday Agreement. So, when thinking about the Assembly's size, remember that 108 was the starting point for building a more peaceful and representative Northern Ireland.