MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Democracy Rules -OK. Falklands Election Called for November 22.

Mercopress UK Correspondent Harold Briley, an experienced political commentator who has reported on eight British general elections and others in Latin America, East and West Europe, and Asia, sets the scene for the forthcoming Falkland Islands General Election.

The Falkland Islands General Election has been called for November 22. It promises to be a lively contest, more so than the last election held in October 1997, as a result of the controversial 1999 July 14 Anglo- Argentine Agreement.

Under the 1997 Constitution, at present under review, elections are held every four years, to choose eight Legislative Councillors. Five of them are elected by voters over the age of eighteen, of whom there are 1,192 in Stanley. Three Councillors are elected from rural areas of the Camp, by 322 listed voters in scattered farms and settlements, to which Islander aircraft and four-wheel-drive Land Rovers take the ballot boxes in fair weather and in foul.

The elected Councillors then choose three of their number to serve on the Executive Council, advising the Governor in the exercise of his executive authority over what is one of thirteen British Overseas Territories.

The new British Ambassador to Argentina, Sir Robin Christopher, in an interview with the Argentine newspaper, La Nacion, has expressed the hope that no policy in the forthcoming election would advocate going back to the previous prerequisite that there should be no contact with Argentines.

Whatever his views, any serving councillors who stand again, face renewed challenge from critics of their support of the July 14th Agreement involving concessions to Argentina which they had previously rejected in their manifestos on which they were elected in October,1997. Contrary to previous pledges, Councillors abandoned the condition, imposed since the 1982 invasion, that they would not permit general access to Argentines unless Buenos Aires abandoned their sovereignty claim. Relatives of Argentine war dead of 1982 have always been an exception, allowed to visit the graves for humanitarian reasons.

The 1999 agreement provided for general access to Argentines and a resumption of flights from Chile combined with a monthly direct flight from Argentina, in exchange for enhanced co-operation in combating illegal fishing and conserving fish stocks vital to the Falklands economy.

Has Argentina Delivered on Agreement Promises?

The question bound to be raised in the election is whether, in retrospe