Fujimori slams Peruvian presidential campaign

Fujimori slams Peruvian presidential campaign
Elaine Lies

TOKYO, DEC 30: Peru's former President AlbertoFujimori attacked his country's presidential election campaign on Saturday, saying none of the candidates have clear policies and most are motivated only by a desire to discredit him.

In the last of a series of articles written for Japanesedaily Yomiuri Shimbun, Fujimori said of elections set for April: "An event that should be a venue for democracy in action has been downgraded to a mere electoral fairground. The centre of their campaign is once again anti-Fujimorism."

"What we see is nothing but a noisy competition to see whocan prefix the worse adjective to the name Fujimori or who will take the most critical posture against Fujimori's policies."

Stating that none of the presidential candidates ispowerful and has clear-cut policies, Fujimori said there was risk of a political backlash and many voters could cast blank votes.

"It seems likely that there will be a major problem notonly in the legitimacy, but also in the power to govern, of the new President," he said.

Fujimori submitted his resignation by an E-mail messageshortly after arriving in Japan on a diplomatic visa in November. He was subsequently sacked by Peru's Congress as "morally unfit" to rule.

Japan later confirmed he was a Japanese national, a statusthat enables him to stay in Japan indefinitely.

FORUM FOR THE DEFENCE:
Fujimori has used the Yomiuri articles as a forum for hisDefence, dismissing allegations against him, including claims that he has millions of dollars stashed in international bank accounts, as attempts to destroy him politically.

He also defended his decision to resign, saying that goinghome would have sparked violence and instability and he would have been in danger.

"If I had tried to step down after returning to Lima, Ibelieve turbulent conflicts between the pro- and anti-Fujimori sides would have taken place and given rise to violence and instability of unpredictable proportions," he wrote.

"Furthermore, I could not neglect the safety of my ownlife."

He denied reports that he had $18 million in secretinternational bank accounts.

Attacking the "ruling class" that had led Peru intopolitical and social crisis, he added: "It was necessary for my political enemies to demolish someone who broke with a tradition of political inefficiency."

"This political class has been embarrassed by a PeruvianPresident's being forced to resign outside his country by political persecution and threats to his life, and thus needs to sow seeds of doubt about his honour."

NEW PROGRAMME FOR PERU:
Fujimori has vowed to embark on a new political programmefor Peru if and when allegations of corruption against him are disproved.

"I am now determined to start anew and undertake aprogramme to make Peru a truly just and great country," he said.

On Saturday, he hinted that he could well return to Perusomeday to carry out his programme.

"It may possibly be the case that someday, without warning,I will use my return ticket to Lima, living up to my name as a 'man of rapid and unexpected determination.'"