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Irish Prime Minister Kenny re-elected after 70-day deadlock

Ireland’s Lawmakers Have Narrowly Re-elected Enda Kenny As Prime Minister, Ending 70 Days Of Deadlock Following An Inconclusive Election.

PTI | Updated on: 06 May 2016, 08:13:51 PM

Dublin:

Ireland’s lawmakers have narrowly re-elected Enda Kenny as prime minister, ending 70 days of deadlock following an inconclusive election.

Kenny received 59 votes, with 49 against, in Ireland’s 158-member parliament. His minority government rare in Irish politics will survive only with support from the main opposition Fianna Fail party, which abstained today.

Kenny struggled to forge a new coalition after his Fine Gael party retained just 50 seats in the February 26 election.  Left-wing Labour, Kenny’s previous partner in his 5-year-old government, suffered devastating losses.

To achieve today’s breakthrough, Fine Gael won Fianna Fail backing for a compromise program of government, and cut separate policy deals with independent lawmakers, three of whom will gain Cabinet posts. Labour leader Joan Burton called it “a deeply flawed arrangement.”

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First Published : 06 May 2016, 08:12:00 PM

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