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. -News for Mon. 22 April & Wed. 23 April 2002


Chirac Refuses to Debate Le Pen


VOA News
23 Apr 2002 23:44 UTC
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Extreme right-wing French presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen is accusing President Jacques Chirac of attacking democracy by refusing a televised debate.
 
 

AP Photo
AP
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Mr. Le Pen on Tuesday called the president's rejection an intolerable and inadmissible attack on the rules of democracy and a scandal.
 
 
<b>Jacques Chirac</b>
Jacques Chirac
Televised election debates have been a French tradition for 30 years. President Chirac turned down the chance to debate Mr. Le Pen, telling a cheering crowd that when faced with hatred and intolerance, no debate or compromise is possible.

 Mr. Le Pen, leader of the far right National Front Party, shocked France by winning 17 percent of the vote in Sunday's first round of presidential elections.

 He has long been accused of anti-Semitism and once called the Nazi gas chambers a mere "detail" of history.

 If elected, he promises to expel all illegal immigrants from France and hold a vote on pulling out of the European Union. But polls show Mr. Chirac is favored to soundly defeat Mr. Le Pen in the May 5 runoff vote.

 Tens of thousands of French voters have held two days of anti-Le Pen protests.

 Jews and European and North African political leaders have been especially vocal in their opposition to Mr. Le Pen.
 
 

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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