Proof positive that student politics is all about luck came in last week's race for the post of president in NUI Galway. There, 17 candidates ran - 14 of from the same party.

The Lottery Party's main policy plank was that if any of its members were elected, they'd all hold an internal lottery to decide who would be president.

This novel approach left the others in the race, including incumbent Paddy Jordan and former VP Phelim O'Neill, in the shade policy-wise.

During a break, when few students were around the campus, "10 reasons not to vote for . . ." posters appeared attacking both O'Neill and Jordan.

By the eve of the election the Lottery Party's united front seemed to have cracked somewhat, with at first one and then more of the members erecting their own posters urging voters to place them first on their lists, followed by the other party members.