Sarkozy and Hollande opposed by a man of Saintes
Wednesday 21 March 2012

Diary "Sud Ouest", 21 March 2012

The president of ACDN is asking the Constitutional Court to invalidate their candidacies

On Monday 19 March Jean-Marie Matagne, a citizen of Saintes and President of ACDN (Action des citoyens pour le désarmement nucléaire), lodged a request with the Constitutional Court appealing for the candidacies of Nicolas Sarkozy et François Hollande for the presidency of France to be annulled. He explains that he was able to take this step because he had obtained for himself the political support of one current mayor, and thus is authorised to appeal to the Court.

Jean-Marie Matagne based his request on "preparation for a crime against humanity, and infringement of treaties and the French Constitution". In a long exposition of his reasons, he points out that nuclear weapons are arms for crimes against humanity". And he puts the case that "any candidate who plans to maintain and develop weapons for crimes against humanity and declares himself ready to use them, and thus to commit such crimes, cannot accede to the highest office without violating the letter and the spirit of the Constitution."

The President of ACDN goes on to say that "France’s participation in negotiations aimed at abolishing nuclear weapons is one of her imperative international obligations" and has been so since the UN Security Council meeting of 24 September 2009 "recognised unanimously the obligation of all states, whether nuclear-armed or not, to move towards ’a world without nuclear weapons’."

Matagne concludes that : " Nicolas Sarkozy et François Hollande deny that France has any obligation in this matter, unlike some other candidates. They intend to pursue policies that flout international law and the Constitution of France. Their candidacies for the Presidency must therefore be declared invalid."

(1) Jean-Marie Matagne had himself sought to be candidate for the presidential election of 2002, but obtained the political support of only about ten elected representatives.