Micheal Martin has received the backing of the Irish parliament to become the country’s next premier.
The longstanding Fianna Fail leader’s nomination was backed 95 to 76, the day after the Dail was suspended and the process halted due to a chaotic row.
He will formally become Ireland’s taoiseach (prime minister) during a ceremony with President Michael D Higgins at his official residence at Aras an Uachtarain in Dublin.
Mr Higgins will sign the warrant of appointment and hand Mr Martin the Seal of the Taoiseach.
The nomination was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but a disagreement over whether some of the independents would be given opposition speaking time led to proceedings ending without the new Irish leader being officially chosen.
Mr Martin‘s Fianna Fail emerged as the largest party after Ireland’s general election in November.
It agreed to re-enter a coalition with Fine Gael, led by outgoing prime minister Simon Harris.
The two parties combined were just short of a majority in the Dail and will be supported by several independent TDs (MPs) for the five-year government term after lengthy negotiations.
The Dail was suspended amid a row on Wednesday. Pic: PA
Sinn Fein put party leader Mary Lou McDonald forward for the role of taoiseach, but she conceded in her speech that the bid would not be successful.
Mr Martin, 64, served as prime minister in the last coalition government with Fine Gael and the Green Party.
That coalition introduced a “rotating taoiseach” mechanism which saw the top office swapped between the leaders of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael midway through the term.
The arrangement will be repeated, although on a three-to-two-year basis in favour of Fianna Fail in recognition of the party’s 10-seat lead over Fine Gael.
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It continues a partnership which began in 2020 and set aside almost a century of animosity between the two parties, which were forged from opposing sides of Ireland’s civil war of the 1920s.
The son of an Irish international boxer, Mr Martin has held cabinet ministries for health, foreign affairs, defence and education.
Mr Harris will take the deputy premier role of tanaiste. Mr Martin will later nominate members of the next government.
The incoming cabinet members will also travel to the State Reception Room of Aras an Uachtarain to receive their Seals of Office.
This story originally appeared on Skynews
