we summarize the controversy surrounding the nomination of LFI candidate Taha Bouhafs, who finally gave up

0

He throws in the towel. The journalist and candidate of La France insoumise (LFI) in the legislative elections Taha Bouhafs declared on the night of Monday May 9 to Tuesday May 10 that he was renouncing to seek a mandate as a deputy in the 14th constituency of the Rhône. Invested as part of the New Popular Ecologist and Social Union (Nupes) in the legislative elections, the contender for deputy has been much criticized in recent days, including within the left-wing coalition. Members of the Communist Party in particular, the first of whom, Fabien Roussel, had accused him of having been condemned for “public insult on account of origin”. Franceinfo retraces the various episodes which led him to give up.

At the origins of the controversy, a tweet dating from June 2020

Taha Bouhafs was mostly criticized for a message posted on Twitter in June 2020 about Linda Kebbab, national delegate of the Unit SGP-FO police union. The journalist had commented on the trade unionist’s statements, calling her a“ADS: Service Arabic”, after she rejected any similarity between the death of Adama Traoré in July 2016 in Beaumont-sur-Oise (Val-d’Oise) and that of George Floyd in May 2020 in Minneapolis (United States).

For this post, deleted a few minutes later because judge “challenging” by its authorTaha Bouhafs was sentenced in September 2021 by the Paris Criminal Court to a fine of 1,500 euros for “public insult on the grounds of origin” as well as 2,000 euros in damages. He has since appealed that decision.

An investiture under the banner of La France insoumise…

Very active with the Truth and Justice Committee for Adama, as well as in various anti-racist movements, Taha Bouhafs had gradually approached La France insoumise during the presidential election of 2017. Until running, the same year, under the LFI banner in the legislative elections. He was then targeting the 2nd constituency of Isère, where he is from, and was beaten after winning 11.12% of the votes cast.

After this failure, and due to ideological differences, Taha Bouhafs distanced himself from the movement of Jean-Luc Mélenchon. But on May 1, 2022, he finally paraded in Paris with the leader of La France insoumise, before announcing six days later on Twitter that he had been officially nominated as a candidate as part of the Nupes for the 14th district of the Rhône (Vénissieux, Corbas, Feyzin, Saint-Fons, Solaize Saint-Priest western part).

… which did not really suit the communists

The allocation of this constituency to an LFI candidate was coldly welcomed by the Communist Party (PCF), which hoped to see Michèle Picard, the communist mayor of Vénissieux, present herself there under the banner of Nupes. Monday, May 9, the national secretary of the PCF, Fabien Roussel, expressed his “incomprehension” concerning the choice to invest in Taha Bouhafs.

Guest of the program “Les 4 Vérités” on France 2, the deputy from the North also revealed that he had asked La France insoumise of “see again” this candidacy, while saying “to understand” the choice of Michèle Picard to present herself as a dissident candidate.

“It is not Fabien Roussel who chooses the candidates of the ‘rebellious'”, retorted the same evening Manuel Bompard, LFI MEP and Nupes campaign director for the legislative elections. Before specifying that the investiture of Taha Bouhafs had, at that time, not yet been formalized by his movement.

Insubordinate France deplores the withdrawal of Taha Bouhafs

The renunciation of the 25-year-old activist aroused the indignation of several LFI figures, starting with Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The former presidential candidate said on Twitter on Tuesday that a “pack” is silent “relentless” on Taha Bouhafs. “I blame myself for not having been able to comfort him as much as necessary”, concluded the leader of the “rebellious”. He also mentioned the “death threats” of which the young man said he was a victim in his withdrawal statement.

More moderate, François Ruffin said to himself “sadness” about this decision. “Everyone makes mistakes in their life, now we have to recognize them”launched on franceinfo Tuesday morning the deputy of the Somme, questioned about the controversial remarks of Taha Bouhafs.

What will happen to the nomination of Nupes in the 14th district of the Rhône? “In the negotiations, this constituency was allocated to La France insoumise, so it is not the communist mayor of Vénissieux who will be a candidate, but the candidate chosen by LFI”, has recalled Monday evening Manuel Bompard, who promises an official inauguration “in the coming days”.


source site-33