Leader
Malachai O'Hara
I joined the Green Party in 2014, drawn by its leadership on LGBTQ rights, social justice, and environmental issues. As a long-time activist, these values resonated deeply with me. With a professional background in youth and community work, I have firsthand experience of how inequality limits people's lives.
The Green Party stood out as the only political force authentically addressing these challenges with positive, progressive, and pragmatic policy solutions. After joining, I re-established the North Belfast Greens and managed Clare Bailey’s successful Assembly election campaign in 2016. In 2019, we made history by electing North Belfast’s first Green Councillor to Belfast City Council.
I am committed to empowering a new generation of activists, equipping them with uniquely Green solutions to tackle the pressing issues facing Northern Ireland and the world.
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Deputy Leader
Lesley Veronica
Lesley has been actively involved in local politics for many years and has been a dedicated member of GPNI since 2016. She has served as Policy Officer and contested both the Council elections in 2019 and the Assembly elections in 2022.
Beyond politics, Lesley is the Vice-Chair of Paper Trail, a legacy archive charity. She has a lifelong commitment to public service, having worked as a local teacher for 32 years, educating students across various schools and communities. In 2017, she authored a book on Northern Ireland politics to support the A Level curriculum.
Lesley served on the Forum of Victims and Survivors for four years, where she contributed to policy advice for the Executive Office on legacy matters. Through this role, she witnessed firsthand the importance of including diverse voices—especially those often unheard—in political discussions.
She believes in the need for strong public services to ensure a decent standard of living for all citizens and advocates for a political focus on the immediate challenges affecting people's daily lives. Above all, Lesley is committed to peace and to building a Northern Ireland that serves and uplifts all communities.