OUTGOING DUP leader and First Minister Ian Paisley is preparing for a series of engagements prior to his resignation from both positions and his replacement by Peter Robinson.
Dr Paisley announced his decision to quit on March 4th last. He is standing down just over a year after entering the Executive with Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness as Deputy First Minister.
On Friday, the former moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, the church he founded, will make a major address at a rally at the King's Hall in Belfast.
On the following day Dr Paisley's successor as DUP leader will be formally installed at the helm of the party following ratification by the party's executive.