A new chief electoral officer for the North has been appointed.
The Northern Secretary announced that Mr Denis Stanley would replace Mr Pat Bradley, when he retires at the end of this month. Mr Stanley has been chief executive of the Northern Ireland Compensation Agency since 1994. He is a graduate of Queen's University and entered the Northern Ireland Civil Service after six years on the staff of the university.
Mr Mandelson said "I am glad that we have found someone with Denis Stanley's proven track record to take over from Mr Bradley. I pay tribute to Mr Bradley who has served Northern Ireland well as chief electoral officer for 20 years and is a widely respected figure on the international scene".
Sinn Fein has called on Mr Stanley to use his influence to ensure next year's local government elections go ahead as planned.