The leader of Ireland's Labour Party Pat Rabbitte stepped down Thursday after his party suffered a defeat in May's general election, Ireland's national broadcaster RTE reported. Ireland's Prime Minister Bertie Ahern paid tribute to Rabbitte after he announced that he made the announcement. "Pat Rabitte's capacity and wit has enlivened politics and enlightened public debate over many years. Since he entered the Dail (Irish parliament) in 1989 he has been one of the most eloquent and effective parliamentarians in the house," Ahern, often the target of Rabitte's wit, said in a statement. The Labour Party under the leadership of Rabbitte performed disappointingly in Ireland's general elections in May. After forming a coalition with the centre-right opposition party Fine Gael (FG), Labour and FG combined failed to win enough seats to form an alternative government to Ahern's. RTE reported Friday that many critics considered it was Rabitte's failure to reaffirm Labour's socialist roots that led to this election defeat and ultimately his departure as Labour leader, reported the DPA.
