Reynolds still likely choice despite flurry of activity in FF to defeat him

The Fianna Fail parliamentary party meets this morning to select its presidential candidate following a flurry of activity designed to beat Mr Albert Reynolds's bid for the nomination. The former EU Commissioner, Mr Michael O'Kennedy, was forced to issue a statement confirming his continued candidature late last night. It followed persistent rumours during yesterday that he had been asked to withdrawn his name to facilitate a straight fight today between Prof Mary McAleese and Mr Reynolds.

Seasoned Fianna Fail strategists seemed to accept last night that Mr Reynolds would be selected as the party's presidential candidate when the 114 members of the parliamentary party gather at 11 a.m. However, there were varying estimates of the support for the three candidates.

Some Fianna Fail sources claimed yesterday that Mr O'Kennedy had received approaches to withdraw from the race as he could not win. Other party sources dismissed these reports, maintaining that a deliberate attempt was being made to upset Mr O'Kennedy.

Some credence was given to the rumours, however, when Mr O'Kennedy refused to talk to the media for hours. But, in a statement issued on his behalf last night, he said his name would be submitted as a candidate to the parliamentary party today.

A meeting of Fianna Fail Ministers and Ministers of State served to add to the atmosphere of intrigue last night. Government sources said afterwards the meeting was considering "Fianna Fail stuff" and the presidential contest was not discussed.

The selection of the Fianna Fail nominee will complete the list of four candidates to contest the election on October 30th. The Dublin MEP, Ms Mary Banotti, beat her party colleague, Ms Avril Doyle, for the Fine Gael nomination yesterday. The vote in the secret ballot, in accordance with Fine Gael rules, was not divulged afterwards, though one key source said there was "less than 10 votes between them".

The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, stressed afterwards that the next President would be required to make "subtle and complex judgements" about the political system and play a key role at the centre of the political system.

Launching her campaign, Ms Banotti said the Ireland she had returned to as a separated mother with a baby girl was a very different place to that which she had left in the 1960s. Her first priority was to provide for her child and she started working as a nurse. Those experiences would play a major role in her success if she were to become President.

"People must feel confident that their President will have the experience and judgement to make wise decisions and represent them with dignity over the coming years," she said.

The anti-nuclear campaigner, Ms Adi Roche, was unanimously selected for the Labour Party nomination and subsequently endorsed by Democratic Left and the Green Party.

The Labour leader, Mr Spring, said they had given ownership of the campaign, right from the very start, to a wide variety of parties, groups and individuals. They had not asked Ms Roche to take on a party label or to adopt a set of party rules.

Ms Roche said she would have no hand, act or part in a dirty campaign. She wanted to make Aras an Uachtarain a place where people could see it as a "real, live, safe haven".