Varadkar's Fine Gael party has been in power since 2016 but polling suggests they are trailing centre-right rivals Fianna Fail and republicans Sinn Fein. "This election is wide open," Varadkar said at his final campaign stop in the western town of Ennis on Friday. A three-way race led by left-wing Sinn Fein is a new dynamic for the Republic, where governments have been historically dominated by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. On Friday, Martin said Sinn Fein, which was once led by Gerry Adams, "have not cleaned themselves from their bloody past". "The only party who can lead an alternative government is Fianna Fail," he said in his home city of Cork.

Source: Bangkok Post February 08, 2020 04:57 UTC