The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has withdrawn its first minister from Stormont, sparking a new political crisis in Northern Ireland.
Paul Givan announced his resignation on Thursday, prompting Sinn Féin to call snap elections.
So what happens now? BBC News NI explained.
If Paul Givan resigns at midnight on Thursday, it means Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill of Sinn Féin will also lose her post.
The roles are common and one cannot go on without the other.
Under previous rules, which would then start a seven-day countdown to new roles being nominated, or it would be up to the Northern Ireland Minister to set a date for a new Assembly election, the institutions would collapse immediately.
However, that won’t happen this time.
That’s because in January 2020, after power-sharing institutions were restored after a three-year deadlock, it was agreed that Westminster would change the laws to avoid a repeat of collapses.
The legislation, due to be finalized in Westminster next week, will allow the Northern Ireland Assembly to proceed for an initial six weeks, with the option to extend this to 24 or 48 weeks.
The legislation will continue to apply even if it has not entered into force at the time of Mr Givan’s resignation.
This is because the Government amended the bill to make it retroactive, meaning it can be backdated to cover a previous retirement at Stormont.
While considered a safety net, it will be far from business as usual and there are still consequences.
Without a First Minister and Deputy First Minister, the Stormont Executive, made up of ministers from different parties who make policy decisions, cannot meet.
Ministers responsible for other departments can remain in office, but their options are limited.
Without a leader, it is much more difficult to make important decisions.
Critics of the DUP’s threat to remove Paul Givan from the executive point to what that would mean for approval of a multi-year budget.
The draft budget, which sets the level of spending for Stormont departments, is open for public consultation until March 7th.
But if the executive branch is out of office, it cannot approve the budget.
Stormont’s departments will continue to be able to distribute cash, but importantly will not be able to plan ahead for the next three years.
Without the First and Deputy First Ministers, it appears a planned official Executive Branch apology to victims of historic institutional abuse on March 11 will not take place.
In one of their final duties in office, the First and Deputy First Ministers signed the appointment of a Victims Officer.
Ian Jeffers will take up the position on May 9 for a four-year term.
A Stormont source said the decision was one of their final acts before both leave office.
They are understood to have also signed up to an energy grant scheme to help families with their bills. It will award grants of £200 to up to 280,000 beneficiaries.
Mr Givan and Ms O’Neill have also agreed to retain Brenda King as Northern Ireland’s Attorney General for a further three years.
Under the new rules Westminster is introducing, legislation that has already begun to be passed by the Assembly can continue.
So in theory, bills to combat and introduce a soft opt-out organ donation scheme for Northern Ireland are unaffected.
But no new legislation will be able to move forward.
It has to be emphasized that this is a new way of working for Stormont and some of it is still a gray area.
The Department of Health has confirmed it is seeking legal advice on how decisions on Covid restrictions can be made in the absence of an executive.
The executive was due to meet next week to review any remaining Covid rules in Northern Ireland.
So would the rules on face coverings, social distancing guidelines, contact tracing and travel remain in place unless a decision is made to lift them?
We’re not sure yet.
Health Secretary Robin Swann has powers to oversee the regulations but has never used them, instead referring all relevant Covid decisions to the Executive Branch.
However, as it will soon be out of force, it is possible that he will act unilaterally to lift the remaining measures.
They were due to be discussed at an executive session next Thursday, but this will no longer be pursued.
It is understood that ministers would likely agree to a large-scale lifting of most of the remaining regulations.
On Thursday evening, Mr Swann said he was deeply “deeply concerned about the consequences” of Mr Givan’s resignation.
“I will remain in office, but the task of rebuilding our healthcare system has become all the more difficult,” he said.
Mr Swann said he had requested “urgent legal clarification” on the potential easing of remaining Covid-19 restrictions in the absence of the executive.
It is supposed to happen on May 5th.
It is the first general election since 2017, following the recent institutional collapse.
Opponents of the DUP have criticized their decision to pull out of Stormont as a political ploy to bolster unionist support ahead of the election.
The DUP insists that there can be no stability at Stormont as long as instability due to protocol persists.
The parties have been in election mode for months, but this latest development means that the mood will be even more fevered in the coming weeks.
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