French lawmakers debate controversial Bill
PARIS: Lawmakers opened debate Tuesday on a Bill that would allow foreigners
living in France the right to vote in municipal elections, a controversial
proposal that cuts to the heart of left-right divisions.
Even Justice Minister Elisabeth Guigou conceded that there could be no such
law before March 2001 municipal elections, if only because it would require
a change in the constitution - preceded by a referendum. Chances for the
Bill to quickly pass are certain to be further trimmed by the predominately
conservative Senate, which also must approve the legislation. "It is,
therefore, not possible for this proposal to go through in a short time,"
Guigou said. "Still, it's good that the process gets started."
Giving non-European Union foreigners the right to vote is an old cause of
the left, first proposed by former Socialist President Francois Mitterrand
nearly 20 years ago and resurrected by the Green Party sponsoring the Bill.
The proposal is backed by the leftist coalition government of Socialist
Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and almost universally opposed by the
opposition right.
Foreigners from nations belonging to the 15-member European Union already
have the right to vote in local elections. Green Party lawmaker Noel Mamere
charged that non-EU foreigners are victims of "political apartheid."
"Discrimination between EU (foreigners) and the others must stop," he told
the National Assembly, which was to continue the debate on Wednesday. Claude
Goasguen, of the Liberal Democracy party, part of the rightist opposition,
argued that the Bill is "contrary to the spirit of our constitution, useless
and politically dangerous" because it risks reviving the "moribund extreme
right."
Mitterrand, president for 14 years, was accused of using the far-right
National Front to divide the mainstream right. The National Front, which
traditionally received some 13 percent in national elections, has been
weakened by an internal split. (AP)
For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service
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