Gilmore calls for Ahern's resignation
Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore today called on Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to resign.
After four days of evidence at the Mahon Tribunal into planning corruption, a defiant Taoiseach declared he would be fully vindicated.
But Mr Gilmore claimed the explanation given for a complex money trail of hand-outs, loans and lodgements in the early 1990s is not believable.
"It appears to me that he has not given a credible explanation for that," he said.
"The story is simply not believable when you put all of the pieces together."
"What flows from that, I think, is that the Taoiseach's position, Mr Ahern's position as Taoiseach, is now in question."
Mr Gilmore said any other Prime Minister who accepted large sums of money from businessmen when holding a Cabinet seat would be forced out.
"I think there is only one course for him and that is to resign his office," Mr Gilmore told RTÉ Radio.
The Labour leader, however, said he would like to see Mr Ahern step down of his own accord rather than wait for him to be hounded out of office.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael will meet to decide whether it will call for a vote on a motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach when the Dáil sits this week.
