Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen yesterday called a general election for March 11, bowing to pressure over his handling of the country’s economic crisis and a botched bid to reshuffle the Cabinet.

Mr Cowen’s dramatic announ-cement came after his coalition partners threatened to withdraw their support over his plan to replace five senior ministers who resigned this week with rising stars from his Fianna Fail party.

His party now faces a drubbing from voters angry that the former “Celtic Tiger” economy was forced to seek a bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund on Mr Cowen’s watch.

“It is my intention, in due course, to seek a dissolution of Dail Eireann (parliament) with a view to a general election taking place on Friday 11th March,” Mr Cowen said in a statement to Parliament.

He said oustanding budget laws, which are key to the €85 billion bailout package agreed with the EU and IMF in November, would be passed before then.

“Prior to the general election we are committed to enacting key pieces of legislation to secure Ireland’s economic future,” he said.

Mr Cowen was forced to make a special appearance in parliament following a stormy session in which both the Green party – his coalition partners – and the opposition accused him of cynicism over the reshuffle plan.

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern, Health Minister Mary Harney, Defence Minister Tony Killeen and Transport Minister Noel Dempsey quit last Wednesday and Enterprise Minister Batt O’Keefe followed suit yesterday.

They had already said they would not seek re-election and Mr Cowen had been expected to use the vacancies to promote members of his party and give them a chance to establish themselves ahead of the election.

Their move followed that of foreign minister Micheal Martin earlier in the week, after Martin launched a failed bid to unseat Mr Cowen.

But a Green party source said they had informed the premier they would withdraw support from his ruling coalition if new ministers were appointed.