French far-right presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen said Thursday that he is confident in getting more than 30 percent of the votes in the second round of voting on May 5.
"I am sure that I will get much more than 30 percent," said Le Pen at French television LCI, "Below 30 percent, It will not be a success."
In the first round on Sunday, Le Pen got 16.98 percent of the ballots. Another far-right candidate Bruno Megret who got 2.35 percent has called on his supporters to turn their votes to Le Pen in the run-off.
A majority of the 14 eliminated candidates have called on the French voters to stand behind conservative candidate President Jacques Chirac in the second round. Opinion polls forecast a landslide victory for Chirac with around 80 percent of the votes.
During the interview, Le Pen described the nationwide demonstrations against him as being "meticulously organized" and accused Chirac of "violating all obligations as head of justice, of the armed forces and of State" during the past seven years.
Le Pen promised to run France by referendums if he were elected president. He would organize one referendum each year, on exclusion of immigrants, re-establishment of death penalty, economic protectionism, family status and defense of life in his five-year term.
When asked whether he will resign if the French people reject his proposal in the referendum, he said: "No. Certainly no."
When asked about his plan to deport illegal immigrants, the far- right candidate said he will set up "transit camps."
"It is a difficulty to be resolved," said Le Pen when asked to which country he will deport the immigrants.
"If camps are necessary, we will set up camps of transit where they (immigrants) will wait in a relatively comfortable situation before returning to their countries," he said.
All foreign jobless in France will be deported "in a human and progressive way," he said.
"When there is a tissue of foreign cities in our country, there will be no French independence. We can say there will be no France, " said Le Pen.
(Xinhua News April 26, 2002)
