Irish alliance of foes in prospect on 2nd day of vote count

The mounting disillusionment with mainstream parties opened an unprecedented opportunity for smaller parties and Independents to reap the rewards. Fine Gael slumped by 10.6 percentage points to 25.5 percent.

The trouble is, Ireland’s voters have never produced a parliament like this before. As of midnight, only 70 of 158 winners had been declared.

Many final results of the election will not be known until Sunday or Monday. Tempers frayed as a late-night recount was ordered. Danny runs the Healy-Rae Bar in the Kerry village of Kilgarvan. “He’s flat to the mat with his black cap, and there’s no time for tae (tea)”.

With votes in 38 of the 40 constituencies counted, Kenny’s center-right Fine Gael (United Ireland Party) won only 26 percent of the first preference votes, far below the 36 percent it won five years ago and the 30 percent opinion poll rating.

“That’s the difficulty”, he said when asked of the possibility of a second election to overcome a hung parliament.

One other mix-up and delay reflected the dynastic, often nepotistic nature of Irish politics. “They could also do very well by staying in opposition, and supporting Fine Gael by picking and choosing issues”. But since then, Fine Gael never again has won back-to-back elections as it positioned itself as the party of law, order and Roman Catholic virtue.

“At this stage, it has to Fine Gael and Fianna Fail or else a second election”, said Eoin Fahy, chief economist at Kleinwort Benson Investors in Dublin.

Though neither party have ruled out a potential coalition, both agree that it would take very careful consideration on both parts.

“Either we could have another election now and do away with the count, or we’ll let them muddle around for a month or so and maybe they can think the unthinkable”, said Michael Marsh, a professor of politics at Trinity College Dublin.

The new parliament is scheduled to convene March 10 to elect a prime minister.

Fianna Fail was set to rise to 23 percent.

“There will be grave instability (in Ireland) for the next month when people are talking to each other”, said Eoin O’Malley, senior lecturer at Dublin City University. He says “it’ll probably go to the other side of St. Patrick’s Day” – referring to Ireland’s national holiday on March 17.

For the first time in Irish electoral history, the combined popular vote Friday for Ireland’s two political heavyweights – the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael parties – fell below 50 percent as voters infuriated by austerity measures shifted their support to a cacophony of anti-government voices.

The new Sinn Fein initially served as the public face of the outlawed Provisional IRA, a paramilitary group bent on overthrowing Northern Ireland’s Protestant government and forcing the territory into the independent south. The Provisionals pursued a deadly feud with former colleagues in what was rebranded the Official IRA and Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein was running a strong third in Saturday’s voting results.

“The only word I can use right now is deep disappointment”, he said.

“We’re committed to doing our best by the country and ensuring that the country gets a good government”, Martin said. He said the “over-riding imperative” is to find a government to continue Ireland’s economic revival. In 1986 he ended Sinn Fein’s refusal to take seats in the Irish parliament, though it took another 11 years to win one.

But neither side has ruled out forming a partnership if government stability requires this.

The Taoiseach has said it is still very early days in terms of deciding the make-up of the next Government.

Ireland’s ruling coalition was ousted by voters angry at the country’s uneven recovery, results indicated on Saturday, leaving Prime Minister Enda Kenny facing the unpalatable prospect of trying to secure a deal with his biggest rival.

The party took 24.3 percent of first-preference votes and appeared poised to double its parliamentary seats at the expense of Fine Gael and Labour.

Early indications suggest that Fine Gael and its centre-left junior partner have been hard hit by continued public anger over years of austerity, despite Ireland recording the fastest growth in the European Union.