Ahern begins his third term as Irish Prime Minister

Green Party joins government

Dublin, Jun.14.- Thursday's vote [in Ireland] followed the conclusion of a coalition deal late Wednesday between Fianna Fail and the Green Party, which voted to join a government coalition by a large majority.

[Green] Party leader Trevor Sargent stepped down after the vote, choosing to abandon his post rather than enter a FF government. Two-thirds of the votes were required in order to accept a draft deal hammered out between the FF and the Greens.

The FF won the largest number of seats in the May 24 election but fell short of an overall majority. Ahern also approached five independents to secure a bigger majority.

The six seats won by the Greens add to FF's 78 and the two remaining seats that existing coalition partners the Progressive Democrats (PDs) managed to hold on to after their vote collapsed to give a slim majority in the 166-seat Dail. ...

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