For the first time in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Sinn Féin will be the biggest party, moving the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to second place.
Sinn Féin now has 27 seats, while the DUP has 24.
Michelle O’Neill will be able to become first cabinet minister as a consequence of the victory, which is unusual for a nationalist.
Ms. O’Neill had previously described the election as one of “genuine change” and a “defining moment for in our own politics and people.”
“Today heralds in a new age,” she added, “which I think provides us all with a chance to reinvent relationships in our society on the basis of fairness, equality, and social justice.”
Ms O’Neill said following her election in Mid Ulster, “My commitment is to work through cooperation, not division.”
“We will collaborate with people who serve all different political positions, and we will appreciate those who respect us.”
Since Northern Ireland’s formation in 1921, a unionist party has had the most seats in Stormont.
The DUP may only return with a maximum of 25 seats.
The Alliance Party has won 17 seats in the legislature, more than tripling its previous total from 2017.
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has nine MLAs, whereas the SDLP has seven.
The two remaining seats in the Foyle local constituency are still being counted.
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said that he will speak with party leaders in the coming days in order to restore Stormont institutions “as soon as feasible.”
“I urge both parties to create an executive committee as soon as feasible. Northern Ireland’s citizens demand a stable and responsible local government that addresses their most pressing concerns “he said
because when DUP assembly member Paul Givan resigned as first minister in February, the executive fell apart.
Michelle O’Neill was also removed from her post since the first and deputy first minister responsibilities are part of a combined office.
A new power-sharing executive, according to Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin, is “essential for growth and prosperity for everybody in Northern Ireland.”
“It is now incumbent on all political parties and elected representatives to fulfill their responsibilities by nominating a first and deputy first minister and forming a new administration to serve the interests of the Northern Irish people.”
Despite a significant increase in vote share, the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) only received one MLA, Jim Allister.
In Belfast West, Gerry Carroll of People Before Profit was elected, while independents won in East Londonderry and North Down.
Nichola Mallon, the SDLP’s Deputy Leader and Infrastructure Minister on the executive, lost her seat in North Belfast.
Roy Beggs of the UUP and former Education Minister Peter Weir of the DUP, both members of the first parliament in 1998, were among the high-profile victims.
Mervyn Storey, a another former minister from the DUP, and SDLP police board member Dolores Kelly both lost their seats.
The Green Party lost two MLAs, including Clare Bailey, its leader.
