LOCAL ELECTION PREPARATIONS DOUBTFUL SAYS FF LEADER

PRETORIA Sept 28 Sapa

Preparations for the November 1 local government elections were
not up to standard, Freedom Front leader Constand Viljoen said in
Pretoria on Thursday.

Launching his party's election manifesto, he told reporters he
was especially worried about what he said was the manipulation of
voters rolls.

"We are not happy about the standard of preparations and we are
concerned about the quality the election results will have."

Viljoen said this was important to the FF because the result
would be crucial in identifying shifts in the Afrikaner's desire
for self-determination.

"We believe the results will show a swing in favour of parties
striving for self-determination, adding to the support of the
640,000 voters we received in the April general election."

Viljoen said the FF would have more than 1000 candidates in the
elections, the majority (535) of whom would be in Gauteng. Once
elected, they would all go on a course coaching them how to
represent Afrikaner interests from a minority position.

"We have to accept that the African National Congress will end
up with the majority in 95 per cent of local government councils."

The FF had proved that a minority party could play an important
role in participatory democracy, Viljoen said. It would achieve the
same on local government level through the quality of its
candidates who included doctors, lawyers and academics.

The party's approach to election was outlined in a ten-point
plan. It included the setting up of Afrikaner councils to deal with
local matters such as culture and education.