Coalition leaders to discuss common election manifesto

THE three Coalition leaders will discuss their common election manifesto at the pre Cabinet meeting next Tuesday.

A draft of the document, recommending between 12 and 18 separate headings, was completed by strategists for the three Coalition parties in recent days and referred to Mr Bruton, Mr Spring, and Mr De Rossa yesterday.

The common manifesto outlines the principles on which a new Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left government will operate, if returned to office, in the major policy areas of the economy, the North, the environment, health and disability, social affairs, agriculture and cohesion in government. It also recommends' that specific commitments be made in the areas of taxation and education.

The party strategists are proposing that Mr Bruton, Mr Spring and Mr De Rossa conduct a poster and advertising campaign, and hold joint press conferences at key points before polling day.

In addition to the common manifesto, they advise Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left to publish separate party manifestos during the campaign.

The headings in the common manifesto are believed to be akin to the 14 point plan issued by Fine Gael and Labour in the 1973 election campaign. They are intended to be aspirational principles on which a new government would be based. It is hoped the three leaders can cut down each heading to one sentence for each policy issue, if possible.

The aim of the joint manifesto, according to the strategists, is to illustrate the concept of cohesion among the three Coalition parties, in contrast to the separate policy platforms of the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrats alternative.

The manifesto is not intended as a programme for government, which would still be negotiated on the basis of party strengths after the election campaign. Its main purpose, one informed source stated, is to send a psychological message of cohesion to the electorate at an early stage of the campaign.

The strategy group, set up by the leaders in recent weeks, comprises Mr Jim Miley, general secretary, and Mr Roy Dooney, the Taoiseach's adviser, in Fine Gael; Senator Pat Magner and Mr Fergus Finlay, national director of elections, for the Labour Party; and Mr Tony Heffernan, assistant Government Press Secretary, and Mr John Gallagher, general secretary, for Democratic Left.

All the indicators continue to point towards a late May election. At the whips meeting the Government is keeping to its original timetable for processing the Finance Bill on May 1st. The Electoral Bill, which would provide State funding for parties in the election campaign, is not featuring as a legislative priority.