DUBLIN (AFP) — Ireland's Bertie Ahern, one of Europe's longest serving prime ministers, will officially step down on Tuesday after acknowledging that public focus on alleged financial irregularities were overshadowing his work.
Ahern, 56, was to hand over his seal of office to President Mary McAleese.
He announced his surprise resignation last month amid growing pressure over an investigation by an anti-corruption tribunal. He denies any wrong-doing.
"I have never received a corrupt payment and I have never done anything to dishonour any office I have held. I know in my heart of hearts that I have done no wrong and wronged no one," he said at the time.
His successor, Finance Minister Brian Cowen, will be nominated on Wednesday in the lower house of parliament, the Dail, but immediately faces a headache.
His first task in the 310,000-euro (487,000-dollar) per year top political job will be to spearhead the campaign to deliver a "Yes" vote to the EU's key Lisbon Treaty on institutional reform in a June 12 referendum.
Ireland is constitutionally bound to hold a popular vote and is the only member of the 27-member bloc to do so. It is being watched keenly across the EU as the results could scupper the treaty altogether.
The Celtic Tiger economy is also running out of steam, and Cowen, 48, will have to be more austere than his predecessor, who was able to cut taxes and boost welfare allowances.
One of Ahern's final acts in office will be the joint opening of the iconic Battle of the Boyne site north of Dublin in County Louth with Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley.
Paisley, 82, is also stepping down later this month with his long-time deputy Peter Robinson succeeding him as leader of the British province's largest Protestant party, the Democratic Unionists (DUP).
Ahern and Paisley will use original 17th century swords to jointly cut the ribbon at the Boyne site, which was developed by the government as a peace and reconciliation project.
The event comes almost a year since the two men met at the site in what was seen as a further thaw in relations between the unionist (pro-union with Britain) and nationalist (pro-union with Ireland) communities.
Elected Taoiseach (prime minister) in 1997, Ahern has won three successive general elections as head of a coalition government.
He has overseen an unprecedented decade-long economic boom, earning long-ailing Ireland the "Celtic Tiger" moniker.
With Tony Blair as Britain's prime minister, he also helped steer British-run Northern Ireland away from decades of violence, sealing the landmark 1998 Good Friday agreement and helping set up a power-sharing administration in Belfast last year.
"Peace has been the overriding priority of my political life. I have given that cause my all," he said as he bid farewell to the Dail on April 23.
In recognition of his role in the peace process, US lawmakers, members of President George W. Bush's cabinet and top military officers gave Ahern a standing ovation before he addressed a joint session of Congress a week later.
"After so many decades of conflict, I am so proud, Madame Speaker, to be the first Irish leader to inform the United States Congress: Ireland is at peace," he said, offering the island's "heartfelt gratitude" for US peace efforts.
Speculation over what Ahern might do next, as well as fight to clear his name, includes the possibility that he could run for the newly-created post of European Union president.
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