Northern Ireland Forum

Northern Ireland Forum

← 1982 30 May 1996 1998 →
← outgoing members Delegates elected →
All 110 seats to the Northern Ireland Forum 56 seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader David Trimble Ian Paisley John Hume Party UUP DUP SDLP Leader since 8 September 1995 30 September 1971 28 November 1979 Leader's seat Upper Bann North Antrim Foyle Seats won 30 24 21 Popular vote 181,829 141,413 160,786 Percentage 24.2% 18.8% 21.4%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Gerry Adams John Alderdice Robert McCartney Party Sinn Féin Alliance UK Unionist Leader since 13 November 1983 3 October 1987 1995 Leader's seat West Belfast East Belfast Seats won 17 7 3 Popular vote 116,377 49,176 27,774 Percentage 15.5% 6.5% 3.7%
Percentage of seats gained by each of the party.
Chief Executive before election None Elected Chief Executive None

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The Northern Ireland Forum (formally called the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue) was a body set up in 1996 as part of a process of negotiations that eventually led to the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in 1998.

The forum was elected, with five members being elected for each Westminster Parliamentary constituency for Northern Ireland, under the D'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation. There was also a "topup" of two seats for the ten parties polling most votes; this ensured that two loyalist parties associated with paramilitary groups were represented. See members of the Northern Ireland Forum for a complete list.

The results of the election were:

All parties shown.

^ The party was listed on the ballot paper as "Democratic Unionist Party DUP Ian Paisley"