MR Robert McCartney, of the UK Unionist Party, has claimed that canvass returns have indicated his grouping will win a "significant" number of seats in Thursday's election.
He said last night his party expected to win at least two seats in his home constituency of North Down. He also expected strong performances in Strangford, East and South Belfast, Lagan Valley, and South and East Antrim. Surprise gains in "North Antrim and East Derry were now "just in range".
Mr McCartney further predicted Dr Conor Cruise O'Brien would join the party's main negotiating team at the talks from the regional "top up" list and take up his membership of the Forum.
Sinn Fein, meanwhile, without any reference to an IRA ceasefire, has again demanded that the election must provide an "automatic entry" for the party into inclusive political negotiations. Mr Martin McGuinness and Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, two senior Derry based members of the party, have insisted there can be no fudging" of the issue.
Mr McGuinness said yesterday it was essential that the British and Irish governments accept the "democratic imperative" of the ballot box. "The British cannot logically impose an election and then ignore the result," he added.
"All party negotiations will be a difficult and challenging process for everyone. It is essential that all parties have a clear view of how these talks are to proceed. There is nothing to be gained from fudging any of these issues," said Mr McGuinness.
Mr McLaughlin, the Sinn Fein chairman, said that if the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, treated Sinn Fein votes as of less value than those of other parties then "he will once again demonstrate the undemocratic and discriminatory nature of this statelet".
If Sinn Fein was denied entry to talks on June 10th then the British government's "adherence to democratic principles will once more be exposed as nothing more than rhetorical posturing in an attempt to further stall substantive peace negotiations".
Meanwhile, the SDLP chairman, Mr Jonathan Stephenson, has appealed to all nationalists to support the party on Thursday. In an implied reference to Sinn Fein, he said nationalists have to exercise a "clear choice". "They can add the strength of their vote to John Hume's tireless fight for peace and agreement - or they can hesitate and risk falling back into the misery and violence of the past 25 years," said Mr Stephenson.
Mr Seamas Kerr, an independent nationalist and former Sinn Fein member, said yesterday it was unrealistic to expect the IRA to unilaterally call a ceasefire. "To go any further than they have in the absence of the requisite commitments from the British government would, in effect, create a void in the republican constituency."
