June 4 European Elections: Questions for candidates and parties

Make Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Iran election issues

The European elections on June 4th are an opportunity for the anti-war movement to question parties and candidates on the issues arising from the imperialist wars. The Stop the War Coalition does not recommend a vote for any particular party. But we support candidates and organisations which want to take a stand against the current wars and occupations. We believe that anti-war activists ought to question candidates and parties directly whenever the opportunity arises. We suggest the following questions:

1. As the war in Iraq has been a disaster for the Iraqi people, will you support an enquiry, open to the public, on the decisions that led to the war?
2. Do you favour the complete withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq, and for suitable EU aid to assist in reconstruction?
3. 21 of the 27 EU members’ states are also member states of NATO. The majority of people in Afghanistan reject the NATO war in Afghanistan. Do you favour an end to the NATO occupation?
4. Negotiations on upgrading the EU trade agreement with Israel have been suspended. But under existing arrangements Israel still receives preferential treatment in trading with the EU. Do you support the suspension of trade with Israel?
5. In February 2009, the EU3 -France, Germany and the UK- proposed stricter sanctions against Iran. This proposal was opposed by other EU states – Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Spain and Sweden. Do you favour resolving any conflict with Iran by purely peaceful means?
6. The 2006 report from the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia found that Muslims in the EU faced “limited opportunities for social advancement, social exclusion and discrimination”. The report also noted a rise in Islamophobia. Are you committed to tackling the causes of such discrimination against Muslims?

British National Party