THE two major parties have predicted that they can make significant gains in the election by spreading the party vote evenly among candidates in areas where two or more might be elected.
Fine Gael aims to win 55 or more seats through making gains in Dublin and the midwest, according to the party's director of elections, Mr Mark FitzGerald.
Speaking to reporters in Dublin yesterday, he said the party would engage "heavily in vote management" tactics in key constituencies. The party can increase its representation from its present 47 seats through gains in Dublin North East, Dublin South, Dublin South East, Dublin South West, Dun Laoghaire, Clare, Galway East, Longford/Roscommon, Limerick West and Limerick East.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, is to make a major economic policy speech tomorrow when be addresses the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. His national campaign will include a four day train and bus tour.
Mr Bertie Ahern, predicting a tough campaign, has urged poll topping Fianna Fail deputies to manage their votes to ensure their running mates are elected.
His comments were aimed at a number of TDs who win high personal votes but fail to bring in second candidates. A number of such deputies have been spoken to personally by the party leadership.
For exam plc, in Dun Laoghaire, Fianna Fail won 1.9 quotas in the 1992 general election but just one Dail seat, that of Mr David Andrews. In Mr Ahern's own constituency of Dublin Central the party won two full quotas but just one seat; in Limerick East, Mr Willie O'Dea took a seat with 1.8 quotas; in Dublin North, Mr Ray Burke was elected with 1.8 quotas; and in Cork South West, Mr Joe Walsh won one seat on 1.6 quotas. Fine Gael also had 1.6 quotas, but won two seats.
Mr Ahern also said that a Fianna Fail coalition with the Progressive Democrats after the election would last a full five years.
He told his party's final preelection parliamentary party meeting yesterday he was giving a guarantee to the party, the public and the PDs that there would be stable government "until the next millennium".
It is understood that Fianna Fail and PD campaigners in marginal constituencies have been meeting to coordinate their electoral strategies to try to ensure cross party transfers to maximise the Fianna Fail/PD representation in the next Dail.