Irish Prime Minister Will Not Step Down As Party Head

Brian Cowen, the Irish Prime Minister, announced that despite current pressure he will not resign as the leader of the Fianna Fail governing party. This news comes after news that a senior minister and his own backbenchers were leading the movement to oust him.

The apparent leader of this movement is the Foreign Minister, Micheal Martin, who is currently vying for Cowen's position after Cowen refused to leave. This all comes after the $113 billion bailout of the Irish economy and the subsequent drop in approval ratings of the Fianna Fail party and a drop in the approval ratings for Mr. Cowen.

The current belief is that Cowen cannot continue as the leader of this party and that he will eventually have to retire before the spring elections. The reasoning behind these beliefs is the current scandal Cowen is in after he was photographed playing golf with one of Ireland's top bankers who eventually had to be bailed out by the government after the downturn in the property market.

Spencer Darrow

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/world/europe/17ireland.html?_r=1&ref=world