g and in conflicts over march routes, notably at Drumcree near Portadown.
             The Good Friday Agreement has provided Northern Ireland's divided society with a political framework to resolve its differences. A model of governance based on 'parity of esteem' has replaced the old divisive system of majority rule. The two political traditions of unionism and nationalism have agreed to proportional inclusion of each group in government. Legislators in the Stormont Assembly designate themselves as unionist, nationalist or other and the voting system works to ensure that unionists and nationalists cannot vote against each other's group interest. The Agreement respects the right of each political tradition to pursue its goal to remain part of the United Kingdom or to join the Irish Republic.
             The Good Friday Agreement is often referred to as the Good Friday Agreement because it was signed on that day in April 1998. It is also known as The Belfast Agreement. The document is divided into three strands reflecting the complexity of the new arrangements. Strand One deals with institutional arrangements in Northern Ireland; Strand Two with the relationship between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and Strand Three with the relationships between both parts of Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
             Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement both the British and Irish governments made constitutional and legislative changes to their expressions of sovereignty over Northern Ireland. The British government agreed to repeal the Government of Ireland Act 1920. In a 1998 referendum the people of the Irish Republic agreed to amend Articles 2 & 3 of their Constitution.
             The Good Friday Agreement set up a system of governance in Northern Ireland designed to accommodate deep-seated political rivalries. The power-sharing Executive composed of ten ministers drawn from four political parties plus the First and Deputy First M...