Leaders agree to `wait and see'

THE three Coalition leaders have decided to keep a "weather eye" on political developments until the end of this month before fixing a date for the general election.

Mr Bruton, Mr Spring and Mr De Rossa reviewed the balance sheet for a summer or autumn election during a half-hour discussion before yesterday's Cabinet meeting. If they decide on a pre-summer poll, the tentative date for the dissolution of the 27th Dail is May 1st, with voting taking place on May 23rd.

The Tanaiste, Mr Spring, seemed to confirm this speculation when he later announced that polling was most likely to be on a Friday to facilitate students who wished to travel home to country constituencies to vote. The count would then run over a full weekend, including Sunday.

The surprising feature to emerge from yesterday's election review was the willingness of all three leaders to keep the October/November option open, if necessary.

Mr Bruton, Mr Spring and Mr De Rossa quite consciously decided not to set a firm date for the forthcoming election yesterday so that they could keep a "weather eye" on developments at the party conferences being held every weekend this month; the water charges controversy; and Mr Justice McCracken's tribunal of inquiry into payments to politicians by Dunnes Stores.

They were informed that the inquiry will sit at 11 a.m. next Friday to enable counsel for the tribunal to make applications for various Orders.

The Government's legislative programme for the Dail session up to the summer recess, published yesterday, gave no indication of the priority Bills which it wants to see enacted before the election. The programme, which was discussed at the Cabinet meeting, still proposes that the Finance Bill would be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas on May 8th.

There are one or two issues still outstanding on the Government's wording for a referendum to relax the rule on Cabinet confidentiality which, the Taoiseach said, could be put to the people on the date of the election.

Informed sources said the Coalition would like to see the Finance Bill "taken as far as possible"; the Electoral Bill, the Equal Status Bill and the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Bill passed; and the Education Bill advanced before the date of the election. They believe it is imperative to set the hepatitis C tribunal on a statutory footing before polling day.