Irish opposition calls on PM to quit over finances

Ireland's opposition Labour Party called on Prime Minister Bertie Ahern yesterday to quit, saying he had given no "credible explanation" of his finances after four days of testimony at an anti-corruption tribunal.

"The story is simply not believable when you put all of the pieces together," Eamon Gilmore, leader of Ireland's third biggest political party, told national broadcaster RTE. "There is only one course for him and that is to resign his office."

Mr Ahern took the stand at the Mahon Tribunal two weeks ago and made his last scheduled appearance on Monday to face detailed questions over tens of thousands of pounds he received in the early 1990s when he was finance minister.

Details of the payments were leaked ahead of a May election, in which Mr Ahern won an historic third consecutive term.

Dubbed the Teflon Taoiseach (Teflon prime minister) for avoiding the scandal that dogged his predecessor and mentor Charles Haughey, Mr Ahern's grilling by tribunal lawyers was not judged to have revealed an obvious smoking gun.

"17 hours in witness box - still no answers", read the headline in Tuesday's Irish Independent. "No knockout blow landed in sparring," the Irish Times concluded in an editorial.

Mr Ahern, in office for 10 years, has said this will be his last term and Irish media believe he may face pressure from his own Fianna Fail party to go early if he fails to restore trust.

Finance Minister Brian Cowen, widely seen as Mr Ahern's successor, said all parties in Mr Ahern's governing coalition would back him in any parliamentary vote of no confidence.

"The Taoiseach has obviously no intention of resigning," Mr Cowen, who is also deputy premier, said. "He has the support of his colleagues ... We have to get on with running the country."