Chirac in hot water

By Vaiju Naravane

PARIS, DEC. 4. Revelations last Saturday about the President, Mr. Jacques Chirac's alleged involvement in the illegal financing through fraudulent means of his Rally for the Republic (RPR) Party have placed the French head of state in a delicate position just prior to the European summit which opens next week end in the southern French resort city of Nice.

The President has ruled out any declarations on the subject before the summit but let it be understood that he would speak out, possibly on national television, once this big task of the French presidency of the European Union is out of the way. The Nice summit is to discuss reform of European institutions and the enlargement of the 15-member community.

Several thorny questions such as that of weighted voting and the number of commissioners, as well as voting practice and regulations are expected to produce heated session. Very little positive outcome is expected and Mr. Chirac himself has been prudently non-committal as to his expectations of the summit.

It is a visibly weakened Mr. Chirac who will inaugurate the E.U. summit. Michel Roussin, his closest aide when Mr. Chirac was the all powerful mayor of Paris, was taken detained for questioning over the week-end. Newspapers in France report that there is palpable panic in the President's entourage. Already Mr. Chirac's public image was severely dented when one of his former colleagues, the late Claude Mery left an incriminating video cassette detailing the RPR funding method and alleging that Mr. Chirac was the one who gave all the orders.

Another employee of city, Ms. Hall Louise-Yvonnne Casetta, is alleged to have directly implicated Mr. Chirac. This has been denied by her lawyer.

Sources in the headquarters of the RPR Party say that Mr. Chirac, since his return from his recent tour of European capitals held lengthy closed-door meetings with his closest advisers, especially Jerome Monod, a former top flight industrialist.

Quoting a source from the Mayor's office, the daily Liberation reported: ``For the moment, Jacques Chirac is on the defensive. Sooner than later, he will be forced to take the initiative and speak. Firstly because his close friend Michel Roussin who is behind bars and could call him to take the witness stand.''

The President enjoys immunity and cannot be tried except for treason and then only through a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament meeting together. But the presidential elections are looming large - Spring 2002. And this could well blight his chances. Overwhelming evidence against him could also force him out of office, experts say.

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Section  : International
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