Big gains for Irish opposition parties
Source: Agencies |
February 28, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
IRELAND'S opposition parties have made big gains in a general election focused on the country's economic woes, but the shape of the next government is hanging in the balance as counting continued for a second day yesterday.
The Fine Gael party was leading the pack as voters angry about Ireland's battered economy ended the 80-year dominance of Fianna Fail.
"This was a democratic revolution at the ballot box," Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told supporters on -Saturday night.
By noon yesterday, 60 seats had been won by Fine Gael, 32 by Labour, 14 by Fianna Fail, 13 by Sinn Fein and 14 by smaller parties and independents. It takes 83 seats for a majority in the Dail, the lower house of the parliament.
Ireland's complicated proportional representation system produced extended suspense in the remaining races. Eamon O Cuiv of Fianna Fail, for instance, clinched his re-election on the eighth round of counting in the Galway West constituency, and Labour's Gerald Nash secured his seat in the 12th count in Louth.
Fine Gael was widely expected to form a coalition government with Labour. But with Fine Gael sensing that it might win nearly 80 seats, party leaders also talked about forming alliances with independent candidates. Kenny, destined to become prime minister, pledged to move quickly to form a government.
"We stand on the brink of fundamental change in how we regard ourselves, in how we regard our economy, and in how we regard our society," Kenny said.
Fine Gael polled 36.1 percent support with the first round of counting completed in all 43 constituencies. Labour, Fine Gael's possible coalition partner, was running second at 19 percent while Fianna Fail polled a historic low of 17 percent.
The Fine Gael party was leading the pack as voters angry about Ireland's battered economy ended the 80-year dominance of Fianna Fail.
"This was a democratic revolution at the ballot box," Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told supporters on -Saturday night.
By noon yesterday, 60 seats had been won by Fine Gael, 32 by Labour, 14 by Fianna Fail, 13 by Sinn Fein and 14 by smaller parties and independents. It takes 83 seats for a majority in the Dail, the lower house of the parliament.
Ireland's complicated proportional representation system produced extended suspense in the remaining races. Eamon O Cuiv of Fianna Fail, for instance, clinched his re-election on the eighth round of counting in the Galway West constituency, and Labour's Gerald Nash secured his seat in the 12th count in Louth.
Fine Gael was widely expected to form a coalition government with Labour. But with Fine Gael sensing that it might win nearly 80 seats, party leaders also talked about forming alliances with independent candidates. Kenny, destined to become prime minister, pledged to move quickly to form a government.
"We stand on the brink of fundamental change in how we regard ourselves, in how we regard our economy, and in how we regard our society," Kenny said.
Fine Gael polled 36.1 percent support with the first round of counting completed in all 43 constituencies. Labour, Fine Gael's possible coalition partner, was running second at 19 percent while Fianna Fail polled a historic low of 17 percent.
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