2(1)This paragraph applies to any party registered under the 1998 Act on the initial date.
(2)Subject to sub-paragraph (7), the party must within the compliance period send to the Commission a declaration falling within section 28(2).
(3)In connection with any such declaration, any reference in section 28(2) or (3) to a party’s applying to be registered shall have effect in relation to the party making the declaration as a reference to its seeking to be registered under Part II of this Act in accordance with paragraph 4(2).
(4)Where the party sends the Commission a declaration falling within section 28(2)(a), the party must at the same time send to them, with a view to the registration in the Northern Ireland register of a separate Northern Ireland party—
(a)such information as would, by virtue of Schedule 1 to the 1998 Act, be required to be provided in connection with an application by the Northern Ireland party to be registered under that Act;
(b)a notification as to whether the party wishes to be registered in the Northern Ireland register under its existing registered name or under that name with an addition permitted by sub-paragraph (5); and
(c)a notification as to whether the party wishes—
(i)any emblem or emblems already registered in respect of it under the 1998 Act to be registered in respect of the Northern Ireland party in that register,
(ii)any emblem or emblems not so registered under the 1998 Act, but shown in the notification, to be registered in respect of the Northern Ireland party in that register (whether in addition to any emblem or emblems falling within sub-paragraph (i) or otherwise).
(5)For the purposes of sub-paragraph (4)(b) any one of the following, namely “Northern Ireland”, “Northern Irish”, “Ulster”, “Ireland” or “Irish” may be added to a party’s existing registered name, at such point as the party may specify in its notification.
(6)For the purposes of sub-paragraph (4)(c) the total number of emblems whose registration may be sought in a notification under that provision is three.
(7)If the party within the compliance period sends to the Commission a declaration that the party does not intend to contest any relevant election on or after the appointed day—
(a)nothing in sub-paragraphs (2) to (6) or in paragraphs 3 to 5 shall have effect in relation to the party; and
(b)the party’s registration under the 1998 Act shall terminate on the appointed day.
(8)References to a party of any description in paragraph 3(1), 4(1) or 5(1) accordingly do not include a party falling within sub-paragraph (7).