With two weeks to the polls, the parties have their slogans ready for the last run

THE Ulster Unionists are going to tour their leader David Trimble in a bright "battle bus". The SDLP and Alliance will ferry their leaders in less flamboyant style. The DUP faithful are unfurling Union Jacks, and Sinn Fein is rooting in attics and cupboards for green, white and orange bunting.

The past 10 days have been busy for the 880 or so candidates. The parties have been fitting the nuts and bolts to the election machine - checking out postal - votes, organising teams of canvassers, printing election literature, and peering into depleted coffers and begging for cash.

Northern Ireland is not that big a place, and if all 23 parties could muster sufficient canvassers, the housing estates, leafy suburbs, cul de sacs and country boreens around the North would be pretty crowded between now and polling day.

Every vote in every constituency will count, but all the parties, particularly the smaller groupings, will be stretched to reach every area. For most parties it just won't be physically possible to organise a blanket canvass.

Now that the Natural Law Party has withdrawn there are over 880 candidates competing for the 90 constituency seats in the forum. There are more than 180 names on the regional lists from which the remaining 20 "top up" seats will be drawn, although many of these names are duplicated on the constituency election list.

Television, radio and regional and local newspapers will play a significant part in getting each party's message across. All parties will be bombarding newsrooms with statements, and there will be no shortage of candidates to speak in the television and radio debates.

BBC and UTV will be the most important television outlets for the parties, although RTE in Border areas - and in other Northern households within range of the Montrose signal - will also "have an impact, particularly for nationalist voters.

Thankfully for BBC and UTV, the Representation of the People Act does not apply this time. In previous elections it dictated that if one party was represented in a TV or radio debate, all parties had to be. But, as electoral officer Pat Bradley acknowledged, "with so many parties that would be impossible this time".

Papers like the Irish News, the News Letter, the Belfast Telegraph and all the local papers will see a boost in advertising revenue from the parties. "But at the end of the day," says DUP secretary Nigel Dodds, "it's a question of pounding the streets and meeting the people."

The parties are fairly coy about how much they will be spending on the campaign. In each of the 18 constituencies each party is legally allowed to spend roughly about £7,000. Mr Dodds estimates the DUP will run between £30,000 and £50,000, with the final tally closer to £30,000. The UUP, SDLP and Alliance each mention figures of £20,000 to £30,000.

Chrissie McAuley of Sinn Fein's organisational team said she did not know how much the party would be spending. But based on its previous high profile campaigns £30,000 would be a conservative estimation.

Raising finance will be a problem for most parties. They are depending on business contributions, local fund raising efforts and individual party member donations. Most parties, particularly the smaller outfits, will be relying on overdrafts and accommodating bank managers.

The faces of party leaders such as John Hume, Ian Paisley, David Trimble, Gerry Adams, John Alderdice and Robert McCartney - will figure prominently on each party's posters, pamphlets and literature.

The party leaders, as well as concentrating on their own, will be campaign origin all constituencies. The UUP yesterday unveiled its special "battle bus" which will, transport Mr Trimble and other leading party stalwarts around Northern Ireland.

The SDLP's four MPs - John Hume, Seamus Mallon, Eddie McGrady and Joe Hendron plan to canvass the North as a team. The three DUP MPs, Ian Paisley, Peter Robinson and Willie McCrea, will be embarking on, a similar enterprise, arguing that they are the best unionist talks team - that is, if they agree to enter talks should Sinn Fein be there.

Slogans on posters and banners will strive to sell the integrity of each party's ideology and electoral thesis. "The Party You Can Trust" is the DUP trumpet call. "Vote For Peace. Vote Sinn Fein X," that party urges.

"Building Your Future Within the Union," the UUP claims. "SDLP - Your Vote For Peace," asserts the main nationalist party.

"Make It Work", says Alliance. Similar bold declarations are offered by parties such as the Progressive Unionist Party, the Ulster. Democratic Party, the Workers" Party, Democratic Left, the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition and all the other groupings.

So, with two weeks to go, most of the groundwork is complete. TV, radio and the newspapers will feature debate after debate, and report after report, as the electors try to make up their mind on how to vote on this most important election designed to lead to all party talks.

And the canvassers will nudge the streets day and night, mindful as ever of their final instructions which are common to all elections in these islands: "Don't call during Coronation Street", "Make sure you close every gate", "Don't step on the azaleas" and "Get the vote out".