Delegates reject motion to rule out transfer votes pact

A VOTE transfer pact by the rainbow coalition remains a possibility at the next general election, following the conference's decisive rejection of an attempt by the Dublin South Central TD, Mr Eric Byrne, to commit the party to campaign solely on its own programme.

Mr Byrne narrowly lost his seat at the last election but regained it in a by election. He told the conference no one could predict when the next election would be and stressed the need to project the identity and image of the party.

He moved a motion in the name of his constituency organisation, advocating that the party "not enter into vote transfer pacts, or any type of electoral arrangement, with any party of the right, in particular Fianna Fail, Fine Gael or the Progressive Democrats".

Mr Byrne said everyone in the State had heard of DL, but "the problem, we feel, is that we have not yet managed to convey to the larger electorate our programme of a radical, distinctive socialist party". The party could not be radical and distinctive while at the same time recommending to its supporters to transfer to parties opposed to DL's objectives.

The proposal was strongly opposed by the Minister of State for the Marine, Mr Eamon Gilmore, and the party's general secretary, Mr John Gallagher.

Mr Gilmore's amendment, which was overwhelmingly carried, gives the national executive committee the power to make "tactical decisions" at the next election. But any electoral arrangement would be entered into after consultation with the constituencies, and a delegate conference would be the only body to approve a proposal to join or support a government, he added.

"The next general election could be any time up to 18 months away. We do not know when it will be. We do not know the circumstances in which it will be called, and we do not know the political issues that will dominate Irish life at the time.

"Quite frankly, I cannot see how standing at this point you, can decide the strategy that you are going to adopt at the next election campaign. It simply cannot be done, and it would be most unwise to do so."

Mr Gallagher said: "I do not think, at this stage, that we can set out Holy Grail approaches on how we will work at the next election. We may, for instance, have a choice between the Arbour Hill version of Bertie Ahern to lead the next Government, or the rational approach this Government has taken.

"We may have the choice facing us of a PD Fianna Fail pact, with Michael McDowell deciding social welfare policy, or the return of Proinsias De Rossa as Minister for Social Welfare."

Senator Joe Sherlock said the proposal was "ridiculous and absolute nonsense". While the party might not be in a pact at the next election, it should remember it was dealing with a volatile electorate and not close the door on seeking preference votes.

Mr Paddy Fitzgerald (Ballybrack, Dublin) said: "The reality is that if we are interested in being in government, we are going to have to consider all options. Politics is the art of the possible."

Dr John McManus (Bray) said the party would probably campaign on its own programme but if it was serious about changing society it should not tie its hands at this juncture by excluding tactics and strategies that might be appropriate at an election.

"It may be appropriate, at the time, that this Government will go to the country on a programme that has been negotiated before the election. If our party at that stage judges that the people we represent will benefit from that particular tactic, then we should do it. If we judge that it is not in the best interests of the people we represent, then we should not do it."