Irish PM to Ask President to Dissolve Parl't Ahead of General Election

Last week, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said that he had made up his mind over the exact date of the general election, but was eager to meet his cabinet and the head of the main opposition party.

The Irish Presidential Office stated Tuesday that the country's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar would formally request President Michael D. Higgins to dissolve parliament prior to the February general vote.

Mr Varadkar later turned to Twitter, posting a video that outlines what he sees as his achievements.

We’ve made some good progress since I’ve become Taoiseach. But I know it’s not enough, and we want to do much more. @FineGael has the team, the track record and the plans to build a future we can all look forward to.#LookForward pic.twitter.com/Tox3EBxHVm

— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) 14 января 2020 г.

​Two Irish media, the Irish Times and national broadcaster RTE, reported that the prime minister informed his ministers that the general election would be held on 8 February.

According to the latest opinion poll, Varadkar's Fine Gael party and its ideological ally and political rival centre-right Fianna Fail party are closely matched, standing some distance away from other rivals.

At the same time, according to reports, thousands of people may not be registered for the upcoming vote as the 2020 electoral register is in draft form and won't be available until 15 February.