Irish parliament delays vote for prime minister after chaotic sitting

23/1/2025 7:42

A vote due on Wednesday in

the Irish parliament to elect a new prime minister was delayed

by a day after opposition protests over speaking rights for

independent lawmakers supporting the incoming coalition

government derailed a chaotic sitting.



Micheál Martin was due to be elected prime minister at

around 1230 GMT following a coalition deal struck last week

between the country's two large centre-right parties and a group

of independent lawmakers after a Nov. 29 election.



The speaker of the lower house of parliament suspended the

chamber on four separate occasions before adjourning it until

1000 GMT on Thursday when her attempt to start the vote to elect

a prime minister was drowned out by angry opposition lawmakers.



The opposition were protesting against a move by some of

the government-supporting independents to retain their extended

speaking rights in parliament from the opposition benches.

Attempts to solve the dispute in between sittings failed.