The Hindu : Protests against Le Pen mount

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 29, 2002

International

International

Protests against Le Pen mount

By Vaiju Naravane

PARIS APRIL. 28. A week after the extreme right wing leader in France, Jean Marie Le Pen, was voted into the second round of the country's Presidential election, the French have begun to realise the enormity of what they have done. Every day has brought street demonstrations against Mr. Le Pen's National Front Party, which advocates expelling all immigrants, a re-introduction of the death penalty and stricter, anti-foreigner nationality codes.

On Saturday over 100,000 persons demonstrated in towns and cities across France. Demonstrations have continued on Sunday.

The second round run-off between Mr. Le Pen and the incumbent conservative President, Jacques Chirac, is to be held on May 5. Mr. Le Pen beat the outgoing Socialist Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin, with one point, or less than 200,000 votes.

High crime rates and insecurity have been the only major issue in an otherwise dull campaign and Mr. Le Pen cleverly played on people's fears to come in second. He has used the past week to go on the offensive. The rallies in France these past few days have been a dress rehearsal for what could be a gigantic May Day parade. Mr. Le Pen has warned that there could be clashes between his own parade which he dedicates to Joan of Arc, the French nationalist saint who was burnt at the stake by France's English conquerors. Mr. le Pen today warned his supporters to "stand firm and be rebellious". Police are expected to be on maximum alert.

Privately circulated opinion polls indicate Mr. Le Pen could score as much as 30 per cent in the second round of the vote. The Socialists and all other leftist parties have called upon their supporters to throw their weight behind Mr. Chirac in order the to block the extreme right.

Mr. Le Pen has been all bluster and has promised "a big surprise" for the French. His supporters are convinced he stands a good chance of winning.

Political observers are more cautious, especially after having burnt their finger with totally wrong prediction in the first round. Mr. Chirac will probably win the election with an estimated 70-80 per cent of the vote.

"What irony," said a political analyst, Olivir Duhamel,'' that someone like Mr. Jacques Chirac , who has been described as one of the most inept presidents this country has known, who is embroiled in half a dozen corruption cases, will be the President to be elected with the largest margin ever, under the present Fifth Republic Constitution, set up in 1958. Not even President Charles de Gaulle, who was largely responsible for that constitution and can rightly be called the father of modern France will have polled as many votes.''

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

Stories in this Section

U.S. troops to guard militants?

Iraq's position tricky before U.N. talks

Protests against Le Pen mount

7 killed in blast near Chechnya

Barbie's creator dead

India warned against `tampering with' MiG-27s

Court decision historic, says Musharraf

Lebed killed in air crash

PPP welcomes E.U. decision

34 Maoist rebels killed