FF warned against constituency carve-up

FIANNA FÁIL'S fractious row over carving up Munster for the European elections campaign escalated last night after a blunt warning from Brian Crowley that a constituency divide will cost the party a seat.

After debating the issue last night, FF director of elections John O'Donoghue and the party's national executive are still mulling over the prospective carve-up of the renamed South constituency between Mr Crowley and his MEP colleague Gerry Collins.

The turf war adds to Mr O'Donoghue's headaches in Connaught-Ulster, now the North-West, where sitting MEP Seán Ó Neachtáin is trenchantly refusing to stand aside to allow Junior Minister Frank Fahey a free run for the party nomination tomorrow.

Last night, the contents emerged of a letter currently in circulation from Mr Crowley to FF colleagues, in which the MEP states that, as a result of the constituency being reduced to a three-seater, Fianna Fáil have to attract close to 50% of the first preference vote to hold onto its two seats.

"The only way to achieve this figure is NOT TO HAVE A DIVIDE," the MEP forcefully wrote.

The letter, dated February 20, a copy of which was obtained by the Irish Examiner last night, was sent to numerous FF public representatives in the region. The MEP points out that, in the last European elections in 1999, the party won 52% of the total vote, while on the same day FF took just 38% of the poll in the local elections across Munster.

"This to me proves that, by allowing both of us freedom to canvass all around and by combining our unique individual strengths, we kept strong Opposition candidates down," he says.

Mr O'Donoghue last night cancelled an election rally in his Killarney, Co Kerry, heartland, expected to be attended by Mr Crowley and Mr Collins, to stay in Dublin for a national executive meeting in Leinster House where the divide was on the agenda.

The rally will take place tonight, but Mr Collins will not be in attendance as he will be in Scotland for a European Parliament function.

According to FF sources, party headquarters have received a number of submissions about election divides in a number of European constituencies.

It is understood the national executive, in conjunction with Mr O'Donoghue, will examine the arguments being made, before coming to final decisions.

Fianna Fáil insiders also point out that Minister O'Donoghue appears to be a recent convert to the concept of divides, as he didn't subscribe to a carve-up in his own Kerry South constituency in the 2002 general election, a strategy attributed by commentators as the reason his running mate Tom Fleming narrowly missed out on taking a second FF seat from Independent Jackie Healy-Rae.

The rescheduled North-West selection convention in Roscommon tomorrow promises to be lively, as Mr Ó Neachtáin has mounted a stubborn campaign to stay on the ticket, contrary to the desired line-up of the party leadership of Mr Fahey and junior minister Jim McDaid. The party is anxious to clear up loose ends to put forward an united front at its Ard Fheis in the CityWest Hotel, Dublin, next weekend.