DUBLIN, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Ireland's Fine Gael (United Ireland Party), the country's biggest political party, Monday kicked off its leadership election to elect a new party leader, and most likely the next taoiseach (prime minister).
Voting for almost 21,000 eligible party members took place nationwide at 26 polling stations. Party members must be affiliated for at least two years to be eligible to vote.
The Fine Gael parliamentary party will vote on Friday at Leinster House, the parliament building in Dublin. All votes will be brought to a national count center in Dublin, where they will be verified and counted under the supervision of the national returning officer. The result is due to be announced on Friday.
In mid-May, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny announced he would step down as party leader. But Kenny will remain on as taoiseach until a new party leader is elected.
In the 2016 general election, Fine Gael didn't win an overall majority. The party then formed a minority government with independent TDs (members of parliament), with party leader Kenny serving as taoiseach for the second time. Kenny has led the party since 2002.
Kenny has been a TD for west Ireland's County Mayo since 1975, having succeeded his father Henry Kenny. He is the longest-serving TD currently in the Dail Eireann, the lower house of Irish parliament.
The Fine Gael leadership will be decided by an electoral college that gives the parliamentary party -- TDs, Senators and MEPs (members of the European Parliament) -- 65 percent of the vote. Rank-and-file members are allocated 25 percent and councilors 10 percent.
Currently, Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar and Minister for Housing Simon Coveney are the only two candidates in the Fine Gael leadership race, which will play a defining role in shaping the party's future.
