Centre-right parties set to hold power in Ireland

DUBLIN: The incumbent centre-right parties Fianna Fail and Fine Gael looked set to retain power in Ireland as vote counting in the European Union member´s general election resumed on Sunday.

With half the seats of the new 174-seat lower chamber of parliament decided since Friday´s vote, the two parties were ahead of the main opposition party, the left-wing nationalist Sinn Fein.

Fianna Fail, led by the experienced Micheal Martin, 64, won the largest vote share with 22 percent.

Fine Gael, whose leader Simon Harris, 38, is the outgoing prime minister (taoiseach), was in second place with 21 percent, while Sinn Fein was in third (19 percent).

To form a majority, a party or coalition requires at least 88 seats. At the halfway stage Fianna Fail had secured 23 seats, Fine Gael 22, and Sinn Fein 21.

Both centre-right parties have repeatedly ruled out entering a coalition with Sinn Fein.

The centre-left opposition parties Labour and the Social Democrats are seen by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail as the most likely junior coalition parties, according to media reports.

The Green Party was the third member of the previous coalition but its support collapsed nationwide, with all but one seat likely to be lost.