His advisers asserted that the McCain-Feingold legislation could enhance the power of independent advocacy groups at the expense of the parties.

However, the party managed to win almost as many seats as in 1993 (at the expense of all the other political parties) persuading Chrétien to stay on.

One of the surprising consequences of the new election law was the strong showing of small parties at the expense of the two major parties.

The Liberals fell two seats short of a majority, and the Tories improved their position slightly at the expense of the smaller parties.

The Social Democrats and Communists tapped into this discontent at the expense of the centre-right parties.

Small groups on both the far left and the far right made large gains at the expense of the parties closer to the political center.

As the election campaign began in February, Fine Gael enjoyed a surge at the expense of the other parties.

"Holding down the number of paid political spots will increase the power of the media at the expense of the political parties."

The 2007 election results saw Fine Gael win seats at the expense of the smaller parties and independents.

Their success appeared to be at the expense of the traditional parties, notably the ruling Socialists.