January 18, 2003	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 14, 1423

PARIS, Jan 17: The city of Montreuil, located in the eastern suburb of Paris, says that it’s to hold a referendum on the issue of whether France should take part in an allied attack on Iraq.

According to Montreuil mayor Jean-Pierre Brard, the municipality will allow its residents to vote on the issue on Jan 23. At that time, he says, “a delegation and I will personally take the results to President Jacques Chirac.”

The politically leftwing city has decided to hold the referendum — called a “votation,” in honour of the frequent popular referendums held in Switzerland, notably in the city of Geneva — in hopes that the results will persuade Mr Chirac and other French authorities to do everything in their power to prevent France from going to war.

It also hopes to persuade them to make use of France’s Security Council veto in order to block a possible US-introduced pro-war resolution at the United Nations.

OPPOSED TO WAR: New opinion polls have confirmed a growing trend of outright opposition by the French to an allied attack on Iraq.

According to a CSA opinion poll published in this morning’s edition of L’Humanite, the national daily newspaper, 82 per cent of the French say they’re resolutely opposed to a war with Iraq.