Leftist party boycotts elections

The socialist Democratic vanguard party (PADS) said Friday it is boycotting the legislative elections of this September 27 because it believes the present government is unable to hold free and honest elections and because laws regulating freedoms have not progressed.

The PADS secretary general said at a press conference the electoral laws were drafted on the basis of a "selective consensus" criticizing the government's performance as "negative in all fields," which does not qualify it to hold free, honest and democratic elections.

He went on that the present political juncture makes it impossible to set in place representative councils enjoying real prerogatives.

Despite some progress in the respect of freedoms and human rights, he said, the (new) law of liberties, the press code and the draft law on parties and associations are a move backward.

Also, the electoral laws are far from gathering conditions for honest and transparent elections, he said explaining that his party's decision to boycott the elections has rather to do with guarantees and is a not a position of principle, as evidenced by the PADS' call for massive turnout of citizens.