The Portuguese prime minister was described as enjoying overwhelming support from other European Union leaders to become the chief of the bloc's executive body, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said Sunday.

"Over the past few days I have been consulting with EU colleagues and I am pleased to be able to confirm that there is overwhelming support for the appointment of Portuguese Prime Minister (Jose Manuel Durao) Barroso as president of the (European)Commission," said Ahern.

Barroso remained silent about the possibility of nomination nowslated for Tuesday in Brussels.

The EU leaders failed at their June 17-19 summit to agree on a new president of the European Commission. The Irish prime minister,whose country is serving the rotating presidency of the bloc untilthe end of this month, is trying to find a compromise candidate after Britain could not agree with France and Germany.

France and Germany proposed Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt for the position, but Britain was against the nomination because of Verhofstadt's support for federalism and hisopposition to the US-led war on Iraq.

Backers of the Portuguese prime minister say that Barroso can bridge the divide between EU states. But opponents argue that his ties with the Bush administration could hurt his chance among those opposed to the US-led war on Iraq.

Two names were put forward at the EU summit and they were Verhofstadt and EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten. Other names floated so far as alternative candidates include French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier, former Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen, EU Justice Commissioner Antonio Vitorino and former World Trade Organization chief Peter Sutherland.

"There will be a meeting (on Tuesday) if the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister Ahern) is confident of having a name which commandsconsensus. If that condition is met the Taoiseach will host a dinner on the evening of the 29th of June," said an official for the EU's Irish presidency.

The term of incumbent EC President Romano Prodi of Italy ends in October.

Source: Xinhua