Catherine Connolly, MP since 2016 who was supported by the left in Irelandis expected to be the next president of the country as members of the ruling parties conceded defeat.

The first information about the results after the counting of votes started at 11:00 Greek time gives a wide lead to the 68-year-old Connolly, who ran in yesterday’s elections as an independent candidate. Catherine Connolly is a long-time critic of the European Union in overwhelmingly pro-European Ireland.

“It does look likely that Catherine Connolly will be elected and we are now getting on with the work of working with her as a government,” Higher Education Minister James Lawless, a member of Fianna Fáil, told public broadcaster RTE.

The Irish presidency is a primarily honorary office, and its holder rarely uses his or her powers to review the constitutionality of legislation.

Education Minister Helen McKendy also said for her part that it looked like Connolly would be the winner. Her centre-right Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphries was the only other candidate. The Fianna Fáil candidate withdrew his candidacy a few days before the election.

Labor leader Ivana Basik, who is part of the left-wing coalition that backed Connolly’s candidacy, said it was “almost certain” that Connolly would become Ireland’s 10th president.

Connolly, a former clinical psychologist and lawyer, was first elected to Parliament in 2016 and served as deputy speaker of the Irish House of Commons.

In brief remarks to RTE at the counting center in her home county of Galway, Connolly thanked everyone who voted for her and said she would do her best to represent those who did not.

The final results are likely to be announced later today.