DUBLIN, June 27: Charismatic Bertie Ahern who became Ireland's Prime Minister on Thursday heading a vulnerable minority government, today created history when he appointed a woman, Mary Harney, as his deputy premier. This is the first time in the 75-year history of the state that a woman has taken charge of such a prime post.

Almost every political party has commended the new Prime Minister for the move and it is learnt that even feminist groups have congratulated Ahern for his magnanimity.

Mary Harney, leader of the right-wing Progressive Democrats, provided a crucial four votes from her party as Ahern was elected Prime Minister by 85 votes to 78 in the Dail, Ireland's 166-seat lawmaking chamber of Parliament.

Bertie Ahern also relied on votes from three maverick independents to get him over the 83-vote hurdle to become ``Taoiseach,'' the formal title for Prime Minister that means chief in Gaelic. They emphasized the need to him to spend government money in their districts in exchange for their support.

But Ahern and Harney could clash over one of the top priorities in the new government how to approach peacemaking efforts in neighbouring northern Ireland.

Harney unlike Ahern, is openly critical of the Irish Republican Army and its allied Sinn Fein party. She said an agreement reached on Monday between ex-premier Bruton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair forces the (Sinn Fein-IRA) movement to make a stark choice between peace and democratic politics on the one hand and violence on the other.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.