EIRE’S GENERAL ELECTION

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25390, 13 January 1948, Page 7

EIRE’S GENERAL ELECTION

POSSIBLE THREAT TO GOVERNMENT OPPOSITION PARTY’S STRENGTH (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, January 12. Eire is now preoccupied with its General Election campaign, and with a speculation on whether Mr Sean Macßride, leader of the Clann na Poblachta Party, can defeat Mr de Valera’s Fianna Fail. Polling will be on February 4. The defeat of the Government by Mr Macßride’s party in two out of three by-elections two months ago has added interest to the present campaign. Mr Macßride’s party promises to reduce the cost of living by 30 per cent, with

the aid of still bigger subsidies, to end Irish emigration, to eliminate foreign influences, and to “clean up” Irish poli-» tics. Briefly, Mr Macßrtde finds his chief support in the towns, while the farmers are mostly for Mr de Valera. The numbers of candidates for the 147 seats are:—Fianna Fail 120, Fine Gael 86, Clann na Poblachta 50, Labour 50, National Labour 10, Farmers 21, Independents 17. It is commented that Mr de Valera may have the greatest difficulty in preserving his slender majority. He has recently been losing some of his former supporters and unless he can attract votes that formerly went elsewhere he stands little chance of securing a majority in the next House.