Austria's Haider Rescinds Plan to Quit

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 26, 2002

Austria's Haider Rescinds Plan to Quit

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Joerg Haider, a leader of Austria's far right, announced he would remain in politics early Tuesday, just hours after declaring that he was calling it quits because of his party's disastrous showing in general elections.

Haider, whose praise of Hitler and anti-foreigner rhetoric helped fuel the meteoric rise of his party into government two years ago, said he was persuaded to remain in the Freedom Party and governor of Carinthia province following a six-hour meeting with political colleagues.

"I accept personally much of the responsibility for the bad results," the Austria Press Agency quoted Haider as saying. "Thus a resignation would have been the logical consequence. But my party friends did not accept this because they believe my 'Carinthian way' is good and I should continue."

Haider's decision early Tuesday was the latest in a line of threats to step down, threats that critics cite as examples of how he cannot be taken seriously. And the move was likely to further alienate swing voters who abandoned his party at Sunday's general elections.

Earlier threats were apparently made to pressure opponents in his party to accept his points of view. But his decision Monday was taken more seriously because of widespread rejection of his attacks on rivals, three much-criticized trips to Iraq in little over a year and other antics that provoked public opinion.

As late as Monday night as he headed into the meeting with senior party leaders, Haider had repeated his intention to quit as governor the main political post he now holds. But even then, party leader Herbert Haupt predicted that Haider would remain in the post and the party.

Source: Agencies

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