MORE than 900 candidates are standing in the 18 constituencies in Northern elections, nearly three times more than the preliminary estimate issued last week by the electoral authorities.
When the full list of candidates was published by the British Stationery Office yesterday, it contained 932 names on the constituency lists, rather than the 329 given to the press last Thursday due to a typographical error at the Chief Electoral Office.
The list immediately provided both surprises and controversy as it was perused by party officers, candidates and the public.
When it emerged that the head of the EU office in Belfast, Ms Jane Morrice, was standing as a candidate for the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, a senior UUP officer, Mr David Brewster, called on her to resign her post, asserting that her candidacy undermined the impartiality of her EU post.
Northern Ireland civil servants were informed last week that they could not stand in the elections. They are also precluded from contesting Westminster and European Parliament elections.
However, Ms Morrice (whose name appears on the official list as `Jane Morris') denied there was any conflict of interest. She had taken three weeks' special leave in line with EU staff regulations to maintain the independence of her office.
She said she was entitled to do this, as many EU officials had done before. "I have been watching the work of these women for some time now. I have great admiration for what they are doing and I wanted to take time and to help support them, "said Ms Morrice. A former journalist, she has been head of the EU Belfast office since 1992 and is standing in the North Down constituency.
The Green Party line up also contains some surprises. Its Regional List (or `top up' list) contains the name of Nuala Ahern, MEP, and the chairpersons of the Green movements of England, Scotland and Wales.
Standing for the Green Party in Fermanagh and South Tyrone is the Dublin scientific consultant, Mr Roy Johnston, and in East Belfast, Ms Similda Olafonka Katherine Osoba, part Nigerian and a former Queen's University student.
Another candidate for the Greens, in Upper Bann, is Jamshid Uenderesky, a well known Belfast art gallery owner.
The veteran loyalist leader, Mr Gusty Spence, is on the regional list for the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) and the veteran republican leader, Mr Joe Cahill, is on the same list for Sinn Fein. Also on Sinn Fein's regional list is the party's press officer in Dublin, Ms Rita O'Hare.
The former Alliance Party leader, Mr Oliver Napier, is standing for the party in North Down. The Dublin Sinn Fein figure, Mr Christy Burke, is standing for that party in Upper Bann.
There are a number of husband/ wife teams, such as the SDLP's Hugh and Patricia Lewsley, standing in Lagan Valley and West Belfast respectively.
The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, and his son, Ian Paisley Jnr, are both standing in the North Antrim constituency. Some of the smaller parties appear to have made up numbers by putting the names of up to three or four members of the same family on their regional list.
The ballot papers, however, will contain just the names of the 24 parties which are contesting the elections. Voting will take place on May 30th.