PARIS: A political party led by former French defence minister Jean-Pierre Chevenement, is calling for a boycott of US-made products.

Three leaders of the Mouvement Republicain et Citoyen (MRC) — Stephane le Floch, Jean-Christophe Frachet and Jean-Luc Gonneau — all of them Paris municipal councilmen have launched the appeal, saying that “we must send a clear signal, power must not be allowed to be transformed into domination, whether it be economic or military.”

The three men, all close to Mr Chevenement, a recent presidential candidate who was largely supported by Gaullist traditionalists who feel that the new UMP political party founded by President Chirac has not remained faithful to the principals of General Charles de Gaulle, have called on the French to “boycott all products ‘Made in USA’” and this “to protest against the United States’ war programme against Iraq.”

“We want,” they say, “to hit the United States at their weak point, where it will hurt most, which is evidently their pocket- book.”

Back in 1991, Mr Chevenement, who was then the defence minister for President Francois Mitterrand, resigned his post when France announced, against his recommendation, that it had decided to take part in the Gulf War.