Big mistake: Royal makes inciteful remarks that could lead to violence
In what's clearly an act of desperation, Segolene Royal has tried to claim that Nicholas Sarkozy is a lightning rod to violence by Muslims:
PARIS (Reuters) - Voting began overseas in French presidential elections on Saturday and frontrunner Nicolas Sarkozy attacked "warlike" remarks by his rival Segolene Royal, who said his election on Sunday could trigger riots.Very troubling indeed. To make provocative statements like those are a bad example, and damage her credibility.
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In an interview released by the French daily Le Parisien on its Web site late on Friday, rightwinger Sarkozy said his Socialist rival's warning there might be violence if she lost the election was a sign of desperation.
"This warlike language is the negation of basic democratic rules," Sarkozy said. "No doubt it's because she's demoralized," he added. Royal trailed by 10 points in the last polls published on Friday ahead of a pre-vote embargo.
"To explain that if people don't vote for one candidate there will be violence is quite simply to refuse the democratic and republican expression of opinion," Sarkozy said.
The full interview could not be published in Saturday's print edition of Le Parisien because of an election ban on polls and campaigning on the eve of polling, to ensure voters a "day of reflection" before the ballot.
On Friday, Royal told RTL radio that "choosing Nicolas Sarkozy would be a dangerous choice," acknowledging that she was breaking a taboo by raising the prospect of violence.
