DUBLIN — Irish lawmakers met Wednesday to appoint a new prime minister, but quickly abandoned the attempt amid bitter wrangling over parliamentary procedure.
The chaotic scenes mean the expected appointment of veteran politician Micheál Martin must wait until at least Thursday.
''I think that what happened today was shocking," Martin said after a day of arguments and delays in the Dáil, parliament's lower house. "This is the first time, I think, in over 100 years that the Dáil has failed to elect a government to fulfil its constitutional obligation.''
Attempts to form a new government come almost two months after an election in which Martin's Fianna Fáil party won the most seats, but not enough to govern alone.
After weeks of talks, the long-dominant center-right parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael agreed to form a coalition with the support of several independent lawmakers.
Under the deal, Martin. 64, will be taoiseach, or prime minister, for three years, with Fine Gael's Simon Harris – the outgoing taoiseach – as his deputy. The two politicians will then swap jobs for the rest of the five-year term.
Members of both parties have ratified the government agreement, and Martin was set to be confirmed by members of the Dáil on Wednesday.
But speaker Verona Murphy repeatedly suspended the session as lawmakers argued about whether independents who back the government should be given opposition speaking time. She finally adjourned the session until Thursday morning.
