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 Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Quick Facts Type, History ...

Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue
Type
Type	Unicameral deliberative assembly
History
Established	1996
Disbanded	25 April 1998
Preceded by	Northern Ireland Assembly (1982)
Succeeded by	Northern Ireland Assembly
Leadership
Chairman	John Gorman
Seats	110
Elections
Voting system	Party List PR
Meeting place
3rd Floor, Interpoint, 20-24 York Street, Belfast

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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 Forum was constituted under the Northern Ireland (Entry to Negotiations, etc) Act 1996.^[1] The Forum was described in the Act as being purely deliberative in nature, and was explicitly stated to have no "executive, legislative or administrative" functions assigned to it, nor to have any authority over the Good Friday negotiations.^[1] It was permitted to consider, in a deliberative capacity, "any matter" referred to it by the negotiatiors.^[1]

Quick Facts All 110 seats to the Northern Ireland Forum, First party ...

1996 Northern Ireland Forum election

← 1982 30 May 1996 1998 →
← outgoing members Delegates elected →
All 110 seats to the Northern Ireland Forum
First party Second party Third party   Leader David Trimble Ian Paisley John Hume Party Ulster Unionist 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 North Down Seats won 17 7 3 Popular vote 116,377 49,176 27,774 Percentage 15.5% 6.5% 3.7%   Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party   Leader Hugh Smyth Gary McMichael Monica McWilliams Pearl Sagar Party PUP Ulster Democratic NI Women's Coalition Leader since 1979 1994 1996 Leader's seat Top-up seat Top-up seat Top-up seats Seats won 2 2 2 Popular vote 26,082 16,715 7,731 Percentage 3.5% 2.2% 1.0%
Seats won by each party and the vote share of the largest party. Break down of each party and sectarian camp's seats in constituencies Election results. Voters elect 5 forum members from the 18 constituencies.
Chief Executive before election None Chief Executive after election None

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The results of the election were:

All parties shown.

Note: The Democratic Unionist Party was listed on the ballot paper as "Democratic Unionist Party DUP Ian Paisley"

Under section 7 of the Northern Ireland (Entry to Negotiations, etc) Act, it was possible for the Forum to be suspended and revived as necessary via statutory Order, subject to a sunset date of 31 May 1997 when section 3, the provision detailing the existence of the Forum,^[1] would be automatically repealed, and the Forum abolished. However, this date could itself be extended via statutory Order, but could not be set after 31 May 1998.^[3]

These powers were made use of several times:

• The Northern Ireland (Entry to Negotiations, etc) Act 1996 (Cessation of Section 3) Order 1997, which suspended the Forum effective 22 March 1997,^[4]
• The Northern Ireland (Entry to Negotiations, etc) Act 1996 (Revival of Section 3) Order 1997, which revived the Forum effective 3 June 1997 and extended its existence to the latest possible permitted date, 31 May 1998,^[5] and,
• The Northern Ireland (Entry to Negotiations, etc) Act 1996 (Cessation of Section 3) Order 1998, which abolished the Forum effective 25 April 1998, upon the conclusion of the negotiations for the Good Friday Agreement.^[6]