The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin have emerged as the largest parties in Northern Ireland after securing the majority of seats in the Stormont election. The DUP won 36 of the 108 Assembly seats with Sinn Féin taking 28.
The Ulster Unionist Party suffered a major slump in their vote, losing nine seats with 18 members returned.
The SDLP lost two seats, dropping down to 16 MLAs. With ministries in a devolved executive allocated on the basis of party strength, the DUP would be able to claim four government departments, Sinn Fein three, the Ulster Unionists two and the SDLP one.
The Alliance Party put in a strong performance, gaining an extra seat with seven MLAs.
Progressive Unionist leader Dawn Purvis retained the party's sole seat as did independent Dr Kieran Deeny.
The Green Party in Northern Ireland also scored a significant breakthrough when politics lecturer Brian Wilson captured their first-ever Assembly seat.
Dissident republicans opposed to Sinn Féin's move to endorse the Northern Ireland police and anti-agreement unionists failed to make any real impact in the election.
UK unionist Robert McCartney - who ran in several constituencies - lost his own seat in North Down.
With the count complete attention now turns to efforts by the British and Irish governments to persuade the the DUP and Sinn Féin to strike a powersharing deal before the March 26th deadline.
The governments urged the parties must not miss an "opportunity of historic proportions" to resume power-sharing.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Prime Minister Tony Blair and said the results of Wednesday's elections had showed a "clear" message that the people wanted a return to devolved government.
Meanwhile Gerry McGeough, an independent republican candidate in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections, remained in custody today after being arrested yesterday over the attempted murder of a soldier in 1981.
Two days of Assembly Election counts got under way yesterday morning at centres in Belfast, Ballymena, Derry, Omagh, Banbridge, Newtownards, Lisburn and Antrim. More than 1.11 million voters using 600 polling stations will return 108 Assembly members chosen from among 256 candidates.
The turnout was similar to the last Stormont election in November 2003 when slightly more than 63 per cent of the electorate voted.