Three political parties in Ireland agree to enter coalition gov't

DUBLIN - Most of the party members of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Green Party in Ireland on Friday voted in favour of a deal reached earlier by their party leaders on forming a coalition government, Ireland's National Television and Radio Broadcaster RTE reported.

Fianna Fail voted 74 percent in favour of backing the deal reached by its leader Micheal Martin with Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan on June 15 while 80 percent of Fine Gael party members and 76 percent of Green Party members supported the deal in their separate votes, said the report.

The endorsement of the deal by the members of the three parties means that a new coalition government in Ireland has eventually been formed after months of delay partially due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the deal reached among the three parties, Fianna Fail leader Martin will become the new prime minister of Ireland for the first half of the five-year term of the new government and after that the role of prime minister will be passed on to Fine Gael leader Varadkar until the end of the term of the new government.

It will be the first time in Ireland's history that a prime minister role of a government will be played on a rotating basis, according to local media reports.

Martin's nomination as the country's new prime minister is set to be approved at a special meeting to be convened by the lower house of the Irish parliament at Convention Centre Dublin on Saturday morning, RTE reported, adding that a new cabinet will also be revealed on Saturday.

It is not known yet what role in the new government will be given to Green Party leader Ryan, who has played a crucial part in forming the new government.

It has been reported that both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have made considerable concessions to Green Party in forming the new government, especially to the 7-percent greenhouse emissions reduction target proposed by Green Party as a main condition for entering a coalition government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael need Green Party in forming a sustainable government.

According to Irish laws, a government can only be formed if it can win a simple majority of support in the lower house of the Irish parliament.

Following the general election on Feb. 8, Fianna Fail won 38 seats in the 160-seat lower house, followed by Sinn Fein (37 seats), Fine Gael (35 seats) and Green Party (12 seats), with the remaining seats going to other smaller parties and independents.

As both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael refused to enter a government with Sinn Fein, a left-wing party in Ireland, they both turned to Green Party in the belief that such a combination can ensure a sustainable government to a maximum possible extent.