Ireland's general election concluded late-Monday after three days of vote-counting, with the incumbent centre-right parties Fianna Fail and Fine Gael set to retain power following coalition expected to take place in coming weeks.

The three main parties were deadlocked in an exit poll after voting finished on Friday. Counting starts on Saturday morning, but could take several days due to Ireland's system of proportional representation.

The first reason is that Ireland has a very unusual voting system of proportional representation by single transferable vote, which makes it easier for smaller parties to win seats.

As the complex counting continues, unpredictability has given way to clarity in Ireland’s election. It looks like the country has bucked the trend across the world, in a year of numerous elections, by putting the outgoing centrist government parties in prime position to go back into power.

LONDON — Ireland faces weeks of coalition talks before it gets a new government, as the country’s two major center-right parties work to form a stable administration. With all but a handful of seats filled in the 174-seat legislature on Monday after three days of counting election ballots,

Counting in the Irish general election resumed at centres across the country at 09:00 GMT on Sunday. Fianna Fáil's Micheál Martin, Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald, and Fine Gael's Simon Harris were all re-elected on Saturday.

Voters across Ireland cast their ballots in the country’s general election on 29 November. First preference vote shares indicated that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are set to continue their coalition as support for Sinn Féin declines.