Dublin, Ireland (CNN) -- One of several parties in Ireland's coalition government, the Green Party, called for new elections Monday amid controversy over the Irish government's request for financial assistance from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
"This past week has been a traumatic one for the Irish electorate. People feel misled and betrayed," Green Party leader John Gormley said in a statement.
The party has said that its involvement in the government would go on "as long as it was for the benefit of the Irish people," the statement said.
"But we have now reached a point where the Irish people need political certainty to take them beyond the coming two months," it said. "So we believe it is time to fix a date for a general election in the second half of January 2011".
CNN
