According to the results of the election, Sinn Fein won 27 seats in the Assembly compared to 25 in the DUP.

The result means that

will get the right to become the first minister from the Nationalist Party, which has not happened in Ulster, writes the BBC.

"We will work with those who serve all other political perspectives, we will show respect and we expect that we will be respected."

The Unionists have continuously held a majority in Stormant (the Irish equivalent of the Assembly) for a century since the founding of Northern Ireland in 1921.

The Alliance party, made up of people from all walks of life, has more than doubled its previous presence in Stormant, which was formalized in the 2017 election.

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) lost one constituency and regained nine, while the number of Social Democratic and Workers' Party (SDLP) seats fell from 12 to 8.

In February, the executive branch in Ulster split when DUP Assembly member

resigned as prime minister.

Because the roles of prime minister and deputy prime minister are part of a joint office, the move also stripped Republican Michelle O'Neill of her job.

On Saturday, the DUP leader said his party would respect the election results, but changes needed to be made to Northern Ireland's protocol.

The protocol is part of the UK's Brexit agreement with the European Union and supports Northern Ireland within the EU's single market for goods.

Some allies have said the protocol creates a trade border between Northern Ireland and Britain.

The ultimate goal of Sinn Féin is the withdrawal of Northern Ireland from Great Britain and joining the independent Republic of Ireland.

But the Republican victory in the Ulster election does not mean that a vote to unite Ireland - also known as a border issue - will be inevitable.

The Northern Ireland Act of 1998, signed after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, states that Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom and "will not cease to be so without the consent of the majority of Northern Irish people voting in the poll".

It also says that the Secretary of Northern Ireland will agree to conduct a poll if it is likely that a majority of people want a united Ireland.

Just a series of opinion polls show that while this is not the case, the latest, published in April, estimates support for reunification with Ireland at about a third.