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FIS rejects

call for polls

PARIS: Algeria's main Moslem militant group rejected on Saturday a call by the country's army-backed government for presidential elections in November, saying the authorities were trying to win legitimacy by force.

"The Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) refuses point-blank these elections as they proposed by the putschists...," the outlawed group said in a statement signed by one of its spoksman, Anwar Haddam, from his exile in Washington.

"The junta (rulers) have proposed to hold presidential elections only in the aim to win internal legitamcy which will enable them to get more financial and military support from abroad to pursue terrorising the people and blocking its liberation and prosperity," FIS statement added.

Algeria said on Friday it will hold free and fair presidential elections on November 16 and had asked the heads of the United Nations, the Arab League and the Organisation of African Unity to send official representatives to watch the poll.

FIS warned "against any attempt to internationalise the Algerian crisis and against any form of foreign meddling in the internal Algerian affairs".

It said the poll "will prolong the confrontation and lasting the people's tragedy" and called on foreign government to cut diplomatic ties and non-humanitarian aid to the country.-Reuter