1st LD Writethru: Irish deputy PM steps down ahead of no-confidence vote

DUBLIN, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Irish Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Frances Fitzgerald stepped down on Tuesday hours ahead of no-confidence vote in parliament that threatened to collapse the current minority government.

Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar accepted her resignation at the end of a cabinet meeting, The Irish Times reported, quoting government sources.

Varadkar phoned Fianna Fail (Republican Party)leader Micheal Martin to inform him of the news, according to The Irish Times.

Last week, Irish main opposition Fianna Fail lodged a motion of no-confidence in Fitzgerald. The motion will be debated in the Dail Eireann at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The opposition party alleged she was involved in a conspiracy aimed at smearing police whistleblower Maurice McCabe when she served as minister for justice from 2014 to 2016. But she rejected the opposition's allegations, saying that she was not part of any conspiracy to undermine McCabe.

Following the 2016 general election, Fine Gael (United Ireland Party) formed a minority government with some non-party TDs (members of parliament). The minority government was made possible by a confidence and supply agreement with Fianna Fail, which agreed to abstain in confidence votes.

Analysts here say Fitzgerald's decision will remove the possibility of a pre-Christmas general election.

Fianna Fail says the standoff could be resolved if Fitzgerald steps down. But Fine Gael insists the deputy prime minister did nothing wrong and should not be forced from her position.

Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael do not want a snap general election. Enditem