Taioseach to resign

[Banquo's Ghost]

Ahern is going to resign as Taioseach.

More.

Finally, he has bowed to the inevitable. For the uninitiated, Bertie Ahern ahs long been embroiled in a corruption scandal that would shame an African dictatorship.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

From what you and dear Tribesman have posted, I'm only surprised that this took so long in coming.

ANy chance we could get one of you two fellows to replace him. You seem quite reasonable and honest -- couldn't hurt given Ahern -- so you'd be a good choice; and I confess that the sheer entertainment of Tribesman's approach to governing would be a spectacle to behold.

[Tribesman]

Good riddance to bad rubbish , I hope the gobshite ends up in jail for a bloody long time .
Now then Banquo , do you think was it the secretary that finally done him ?
I mean after all he could probably explain that testimony away .... "of course the Irish government pays its wages in cash in foriegn currency how can anyone possibly think anythings unusual about that " ...it would be about as credible as the dozen other different explainations he has given .

At least he wrote a good epitaph ...The public are entitled to have an absolute guarantee of the financial probity and integrity of their elected representatives, their officials and above all of Ministers. They need to know that they are under financial obligations to nobody. ...though of course when he said that he didn't think it would apply to him .
So is probably more of a case of ....
It is not correct, and if I said so I was not correct
I cannot recall if I said it , but I didn't say it
Or if I did I did not mean to say it

[InsaneApache]

You guys do seem to get some dodgy characters as Taoiseach. Wasn't Mr. Potatohead in it up to his armpits as well?

Could be worse though, you could always have Gordon 'the moron' Brown.

[KukriKhan]

Reads like a longer version of Nixon's '73 speech:

People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook. I've earned everything I've got.

Ahern's resignation only prompts selection of a new Taioseach by his party, not a general election, yes? Is there an heir-apparent?

[Banquo's Ghost]

Now then Banquo , do you think was it the secretary that finally done him ?

I thought he was ahead again yesterday when those rulings against the Mahon tribunal went his way.

Ahern's resignation only prompts selection of a new Taioseach by his party, not a general election, yes? Is there an heir-apparent?

Sadly, there is. The tanaiste, Brian Cowen is popular in his own party and likely to get the leadership. The opposition once described this gentle soul as "the only man left in Ireland who still believes Ahern" after his defence of his beloved leader.

You guys do seem to get some dodgy characters as Taoiseach. Wasn't Mr. Potatohead in it up to his armpits as well?

It's pretty much part of the job description, under perks. (What we need is a "rolling in filthy lucre like a pig in " smiley. Just think of the usage it would get.)

[Tribesman]

I thought he was ahead again yesterday when those rulings against the Mahon tribunal went his way.

No the only one that was imporant there was that they couldn't question him about some of his explainations as to where the money was from and what it was for due to where they had been made , but he had been foolish enough to lose it a couple of times with journalists and repeat those explanations out of the house so they could use that source instead .
On top of that they can also still question him on all the other fairytale accounts he has given over the money ...and more importantly the pile of bull that he gave as evidence at the tribunal itself .

[HoreTore]

Sadly, there is. The tanaiste, Brian Cowen is popular in his own party and likely to get the leadership. The opposition once described this gentle soul as "the only man left in Ireland who still believes Ahern" after his defence of his beloved leader.

Found this on wikipedia, now help translate from weird irish to english:

The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of Oireachtas), and must, while he or she remains in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil. The current Taoiseach is Bertie Ahern, TD, leader of the Fianna Fáil party. On 2 April 2008, he announced his intention to step down, as of 6 May 2008.

So... Translating this into standard euro parliamentary systems... "dail Eireann" would be parliament? Or just a part of it? So Taoiseach would be a PM, who is elected just like any other PM, ie not by direct election, election is for MP's, and then one of the parties says "hey, we're gonna have the PM!", they pick a guy and parliament then either votes for him or ditches him. So to get a new Taoiseach from a different party, there would have to be a new election for parliament and that parliament would have to get a different majority. Right?



Do excuse the rambling... It's in the middle of the night and I just woke up to get me a good-night pint...

[InsaneApache]

I'm no expert but it sounds about right.

[ICantSpellDawg]

As far as I know the Irish system just has funny different names for things and places. They are trying to reclaim the culture that the British shat all over for so long. Most people probably couldn't have told you what those words meant before the resurgence of Irish Gael on signposts, TV and in schools.

[Tribesman]

As far as I know the Irish system just has funny different names for things and places.

No thats the Norwegians that just have funny names for things and places, apparently for some reason they use a different language

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Well it looks oddly similar to the Queen's Prime Minister, when he forms a government because he leads the largest block in the house. You just wrote it out in a constitution and changed the emphasis as far as I can see.

[HoreTore]

No thats the Norwegians that just have funny names for things and places, apparently for some reason they use a different language

Yeah, we've got weird names too, but they're translated, so that others know what we're talking about

[Tribesman]

Yeah, we've got weird names too, but they're translated, so that others know what we're talking about

what ,you mean Stortinget is the norwegian for Oireachtas ????
thats just too hard to understand .


But anyway , just as one caimileir steps down another rejoins the soldiers .
That lying swindling Mayo bitch is back in the party again

[Banquo's Ghost]

But anyway , just as one caimileir steps down another rejoins the soldiers .
That lying swindling Mayo bitch is back in the party again

For the foreigners amongst us, that means this.



Added to which, the leader-presumptive wants TDs (our version of representatives or MPs) to get to choose their own constituency boundaries.

I was going to note to a previous poster that we had a standard parliamentary system, but who am I kidding? We have a banana republic for crooks.

[HoreTore]

what ,you mean Stortinget is the norwegian for Oireachtas ????
thats just too hard to understand .

Bah, now you're just being difficult, tribes.

If I say "Storting" to an irishman, he won't have a clue, so I say "Parliament". If an irishman says "Oireachtas" to me, I won't have a freakin' clue either, so if he(the irishman) wants people to understand him, he should use the term "Parliament".

Also, "Storting" isn't the norwegian term for parliament, it's the name of the norwegian parliament...

[Tribesman]

Also, "Storting" isn't the norwegian term for parliament, it's the name of the norwegian parliament...

Just as Oireachtas isn't the Irish term for Parliament , its the Irish of Stortinget

[HoreTore]

Just as Oireachtas isn't the Irish term for Parliament , its the Irish of Stortinget

Yes, so in the great quest to reduce confusion in the world, please start calling it parliament instead!

[macsen rufus]

I confess that the sheer entertainment of Tribesman's approach to governing would be a spectacle to behold.

I think Ireland needs a Taioseach who means what he says, and says what he means .... I can see the headlines now:

"Taioseach's statement in full: bollox!"

So Tribesy, where do we buy the voting slips

choose their own constituency boundaries.

What?!? How? I take it this is a step further even than the dubiously-democratic system of Gerrymandering practiced in other benighted jurisdictions that lack Boundary Commissions?

I can imagine TDs replying to appeals for help: "Dear ex-constituent, I am deeply moved by your case and would like to offer my full support, but unfortunately I have just moved my borders and your house is now covered by my Honourable colleague next door..."

[Pannonian]

I think Ireland needs a Taioseach who means what he says, and says what he means .... I can see the headlines now:

"Taioseach's statement in full: bollox!"

So Tribesy, where do we buy the voting slips

Some of you may be wondering what my qualifications are for this job. To that, I can only answer:

My main task as Taoiseach will be to reduce corruption in politics, although I expect to face problems in this.

My government will be frank in our statements, which won't sound good to those of you who think our country's in a good state.
Perhaps you should do some reading up of our country's state of affairs before you give me bollox about how I'm ruining it.

Still, by this time tomorrow, you'll probably be regretting voting me into power.
Hard luck, because I'm going to stay for the full term and get all the benefits I can from the office.

- Mr. Tribesman, 5th April 2008

[Tribesman]

"Taioseach's statement in full: bollox!"

Ah a lack of perception concerning Irish politics . Its regularly done already
Macsen .
The fact there is that apart from Bertie using it , bollox was Rabittes' favourite word when he spoke in the Dail to describe the governments statements , so it wouldn't really be introducing new language to the assembly .

Whats funny though is that other words regularly used in politics over here (or on the news or even childrens TV) get daisyfied on the org .

Yes, so in the great quest to reduce confusion in the world, please start calling it parliament instead!

No , or would you be OK if the Welsh assembly was called the Welsh parliament instead .

[HoreTore]

No , or would you be OK if the Welsh assembly was called the Welsh parliament instead .

Well, that's an easy one, as I couldn't care less about the Welsh