Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
International

Indian-Origin Leo Varadkar Wins: Ireland Set To Install First Openly Gay Prime Minister

Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 Jun, 2017 11:12 AM

    The son of an Indian immigrant who came out as gay in 2015 will be the next Irish prime minister, after he was voted leader of the country’s main governing party.

     

    Mr Leo Varadkar beat his rival, Housing Minister Simon Coveney, with 60% of the votes. He will become Ireland's first gay taoiseach (prime minister).

     

    He is expected to take over from former Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, in the next few weeks.

     

    At 38, he will also be Ireland's youngest ever prime minister.

     

    Following the announcement on Friday evening, Mr Varadkar said he was "honoured" to accept the "enormous challenge" ahead of him with humility.

     
     

    "If my election shows anything it's that prejudice has no hold in this Republic," he said.

     

    "When my father travelled 5,000 miles to build a new home in Ireland, I doubt he ever dreamed his son would grow up to be its leader." He said Simon Coveney had gained his and the party's admiration for his "principled and spirited" campaign and he looked forward to working with him to bring Fine Gael and Ireland forward.

     

    "Let that be our mission, to build a Republic of opportunity," he said.

     

    Mr Varadkar, who came out as gay in the run up to the 2015 same-sex marriage referendum, has been in charge of the welfare system.

     

    As well as becoming Ireland’s first gay prime minister, Varadkar, 38, will also become the country’s youngest leader, and the first from an ethnic minority background. His position will be confirmed later this month when parliament resumes after a break.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Dubai Gurdwara Creates World Record With Breakfast For People From 101 Nations

    Dubai Gurdwara Creates World Record With Breakfast For People From 101 Nations
    Gurunanak Darbar Gurdwara served continental breakfast titled ‘Breakfast for Diversity’ to 600 people from 101 countries, the maximum number of people from diverse nationalities, entering the Guinness World Record.

    Dubai Gurdwara Creates World Record With Breakfast For People From 101 Nations

    Indian-Born Engineer Arvind Sinha Gets American Helicopter Society Award

    Indian-Born Engineer Arvind Sinha Gets American Helicopter Society Award
    AHS is the world’s premier professional institution dedicated to vertical flight technology and advancement. It selected Lt Col Dr Arvind Sinha (retd) for his distinguished career in vertical flight technology.

    Indian-Born Engineer Arvind Sinha Gets American Helicopter Society Award

    43-Yr-Old Indian In US Pleads Guilty To Running Call Centre Scam

    43-Yr-Old Indian In US Pleads Guilty To Running Call Centre Scam
    Bharat Kumar Patel was arrested for his role in the fraud and money-laundering scheme alongside 55 other individuals and five call centres in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas on October 19.

    43-Yr-Old Indian In US Pleads Guilty To Running Call Centre Scam

    Wife Of Indian Techie Who Killed Himself In Us Attempts Suicide

    Wife Of Indian Techie Who Killed Himself In Us Attempts Suicide
    Swati consumed toilet cleaner at her house in Kuthapet area. Family members rushed her to a hospital, where her condition was critical.

    Wife Of Indian Techie Who Killed Himself In Us Attempts Suicide

    Indian Students Will Continue To Be In Demand In The US

    Indian Students Will Continue To Be In Demand In The US
    Indian students will continue to be in demand in the United States as they have been gaining advanced knowledge and technical skills, experts feel.

    Indian Students Will Continue To Be In Demand In The US

    US 'Mother Of All Bombs' Killed 36 Islamic State Militants In Afghanistan

    US 'Mother Of All Bombs' Killed 36 Islamic State Militants In Afghanistan
    As many as 36 suspected Islamic State militants were killed in Afghanistan when the United States dropped “the mother of all bombs”, its largest non-nuclear device ever unleashed in combat, the Afghan Defence Ministry said on Friday.

    US 'Mother Of All Bombs' Killed 36 Islamic State Militants In Afghanistan