The full membership of the executive in the North, scheduled to be formally appointed on May 8th, emerged yesterday after the DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, named his ministerial team.
The only key Assembly appointment remaining is that of speaker which is expected to go to the DUP Assembly member for Foyle, William Hay.
The countdown to devolution continued to run smoothly yesterday as Dr Paisley named his full ministers as Peter Robinson, Nigel Dodds, Arlene Foster and Edwin Poots. while his son Ian junior will join him in the Office of First and Deputy First Minister as a junior minister.
Sinn Féin also took another significant step yesterday in further indicating its support for the PSNI by meeting the chairman and vice-chairman of the policing board, Prof Sir Desmond Rea and Barry Gilligan.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams confirmed yesterday that he would nominate three party members to the policing board after May 8th.
As Sinn Féin, the UUP and the SDLP had already named their ministers and their respective portfolios, the Northern Executive designate is now in place.
Mr Dodds is the only one of the so-called Twelve Apostles - the DUP Assembly members who in effect challenged Dr Paisley's strategic leadership in October - to be appointed minister designate, while Jeffrey Donaldson, who defected from the Ulster Unionist Party to the DUP, is also left out of the executive by the DUP leader.
The DUP is, however, expected to rotate ministers, when some of these hardliners are likely to take up ministerial posts with Mr Donaldson also potentially due a department.
Furthermore some of the "apostles", such as East Derry MP Gregory Campbell and Mid-Ulster MP, the Rev William McCrea, were yesterday appointed by Dr Paisley as chairmen of key Assembly committees which hold ministers to account, while Mr Donaldson has been given the job of chairing the institutional review committee.
Dr Paisley also announced that Mr Donaldson will serve on the policing board with DUP colleagues, Peter Weir, David Simpson and Tom Buchanan.
Dr Paisley, who presented his ministerial team on the steps of Parliament Buildings, Stormont,yesterday, indicated that he is satisfied that Sinn Féin is living up to its commitments.
Asked would he be sharing government with Sinn Féin in three weeks' time, he said: "Well, I don't know what they are going to do but we are going to take over on May 8th."
Asked what was his view about taking power he said: "I think we should rejoice that great confidence is born in the hearts of the majority of people in Northern Ireland.
"I am amazed by the responses on the streets, on the phone, in every place I visit - people who are not Democratic Unionists but who are grateful to us for all that we have achieved.
"And if you look at the Sinn Féin party today it is a different party to what it was before we determined in ourselves to make changes.
"I think that we played our game very well indeed. I think we have made additional progress and will continue to do so."
"But the best has yet to be when ministers of our country can deliver for the people the things that are necessary for the people to have good prospects, good education, good jobs, good planning and cheaper houses," he added.
