Irish MPs fail to chose PM, again

April 07, 2016 00:55

Irish lawmakers on Wednesday failed to elect a new prime minister for the second time in 40 days since an inconclusive general election, while forming a new government remains an elusive prospect.

The February 26 election resulted in political stalemate and there is little sign of the logjam being broken, according to lawmakers from all sides.

Neither Fine Gael or Fianna Fail, the two main parties, have the numbers to form a government without the support -- active or passive -- of the other.

The election of a prime minister, or taoiseach, is a prerequisite to agreeing the composition of the next government.

Meanwhile the outgoing Fine Gael-Labour coalition government remains in office in a caretaker capacity, as does Prime Minister Enda Kenny.

Kenny's Fine Gael party won 50 seats in the vote -- 27 fewer than in the previous election in 2011.

Its bitter centre-right rival, Fianna Fail, increased its vote substantially to 44 in the 158-seat Dail, the lower house of parliament.

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