Irish voters play safe, Ahern heads for 3rd term

By Staff
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DUBLIN, May 26 (Reuters) Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern was set to clinch a third term today after voters who have enjoyed the fruits of a thriving economy opted for stability over change.

But a near wipe-out for Ahern's junior coalition partner, the pro-business Progressive Democrats (PD), means he may have to woo a rival to secure a parliamentary majority and extend his 10 years in office.

''Whatever I try to do, my favourite option is to make sure, as I have done twice back to back ... to command a stable government for a five-year term,'' Ahern told RTE television.

With 145 seats settled in the 166-seat Dail (lower house of parliament), Ahern's Fianna Fail had 72 seats. The PDs had just one with a possibility of picking up one more versus the eight they had when the election was called a month ago.

The most likely alternative government of centrist Fine Gael, the left-leaning Labour Party and the Green Party had a combined 64 seats.

Bookmaker Paddy Power made a Fianna Fail/Green Party tie-up, the 5-4 favourite late yesterday before halting bets.

Support for Fianna Fail was little changed from the 2002 general election at 41.6 per cent. PD leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McDowell quit public life after losing his Dublin seat.

Ahern, who was also finance minister in the early 1990s, has seen Ireland transforming from one of Europe's most impoverished nations into one of its wealthiest during his decade in power.

He also helped bring peace to Northern Ireland.

ECONOMIC ''WOBBLE'' Fine Gael and Labour had fought the election on a joint platform in a bid to oust Ahern, whom they accuse of squandering the spoils of Ireland's economic success and neglecting an overburdened health system and transport network.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte effectively conceded defeat relatively early in the count. Enda Kenny, Fine Gael's leader and Ahern's would-be successor, refused to accept it that was over but admitted Ahern had ''more options'' than he did.

Rabbitte said fears of an economic ''wobble'' meant voters had opted not to ''change horses in mid-stream''.

''The people, I think, having for the first 2-1/2 weeks equated change with progress, ended up in the last week equating change with risk,'' Rabbitte said.

Recurring questions over Ahern's personal finances ensured the government's campaign got off to a poor start. Opposition parties credited the ''Left-wing government? No thanks!'' battle cry of his deputy McDowell with helping change its fortunes.

Niall O Brolchain, the Green Party mayor of Galway city, said ''scaremongering'' by the PDs had succeeded in persuading people as they could not afford to vote for change.

There was little to distinguish between the parties in terms of tax and spending plans, and the two main players were in the middle ground. Economists had said it would make little difference to future prosperity who won.

REUTERS PY RN1438

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