MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Present Argentine Government resembles Galtieri's dictatorship of 1982, says Councillor.

Members of the Falkland's Legislative Council have again roundly condemned, what they term, ' Argentina's current bullying and threatening' tactics.

The comments were made during Friday's meeting of the Legislative Council in Stanley, and follows the Argentine Governments decision some months ago, to ban charter flights by Chilean aircraft to the Falklands.

The strongest attack came from the youngest member of the Legislature, 31 year old Councillor Stephen Luxton, who condemned the present policy of President Kirchner towards the Falklands.

He said, 'I personally have some doubts that there will be any kind of progress (between Argentina and the Falklands) for the duration of the current Argentine regime who seem very nearly as unreasonable as the bunch who kicked me out of my own Country 22 years ago ! '.

He was referring to the 1982 occupation of the Islands by Argentine forces under the leadership of former President, General Leopoldo Galtieri, when he and his parents were expelled from the Falklands.

Councillor Luxton, then a 9 year old boy, was arrested from his home at Chartres sheep farm, along with his father, former Councillor William Luxton, an outspoken critic of the Argentine regime of 1982, who was repeatedly threatened by the Argentine Military administration. All the family members were deported to Britain for the remainder of the conflict.

Councillor Janet Cheek accused the Argentine Government of, 'Making political capital out of the Argentine War Memorial', which has arrived in the Islands and which is due to be erected at Darwin, shortly.

Councillor Mike Summers warned President Kirchner that continued aggression by the Argentine Government could lead to the inauguration of the Memorial being delayed.

He sent a clear message to Buenos Aires saying that the Falklands Government will not allow any Argentine charter flights into the Islands, carrying Argentine dependant relatives for the opening of the Memorial, unless the ban on charter flights between Santiago and the Falklands is lifted. 'The charter flight ban applies to all charters as far as we are concerned, and that includes Argentine aircraft', insisted Councillor Summers. Accordingly any Argentines wishing to travel to the Islands for the opening of the Memorial will have to travel on the weekly Lan Chile flight which operates only on Saturdays.

Summers reiterated that any proposal from Kirchner's Government to commence a scheduled air service between Buenos Aires and the Falklands is totally 'out of question'.

Councillor Summers confirmed that the Falklands Government had the full and unequivocal support of the British Government in their stance on air links. He also reminded Argentine officials of the words of the British Ambassador to Buenos Aires, Sir Robin Christopher who said recently said in a newspaper interview that progress between Argentina and the Islanders is, 'an issue of trust'.

There was very little trust coming the way of the Islanders from Argentina at the moment, said Councillor Summers. He insisted that, 'yet more aggression from Argentina is likely to make things worse, not better'.

Bill Brown - MercoPress - Falkland Islands.