In a gesture marking unprecedented collaboration between both parties, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party the Rev Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness have jointly called on Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain to resign his offices before the return of devolution.
Both men, who will sit together at the head of a new administration in Belfast after their historic power-sharing deal, jointly drafted and signed a letter to Mr Hain.
Mr Hain hailed the initiative as further proof of the will among unionists and republicans to make their coalition work.
He stressed he would be delighted to leave to aid preparations for the new administration.
"The two most polarised parties have done what they have never been willing to do before, to share power on May 8. I believe it will stick," he told BBC Radio 4.
"Confirmation has come on a letter I have just received, the first one ever jointly signed by Ian Paisley and his old foe, Martin McGuinness, as first and deputy first ministers designate."
London and Dublin's efforts to strike a peace deal in Northern Ireland were confirmed amid astonishing scenes at Stormont last week.
Sitting beside Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams, Mr Paisley confirmed on Monday he was prepared to go into government with republicans.
His pledge led to the resignations of DUP MEP Jim Allister and a number of councillors in the party leader's North Antrim stronghold.
However, Mr McGuinness has claimed Mr Paisley wants the power-sharing pact to work as much as he does, insisting he was not going in to wreck the political institutions.