German cabinet backs far-right party ban

By Chris Burns, CNN Berlin bureau chief

BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- The German government has stepped up its efforts to ban the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) with the cabinet approving a request to the courts to deregister the organisation.

Contending that the NPD's actions and policies were racist, anti-democratic and therefore unconstitutional, the action on Wednesday sets in train a constitutional process that could take two years.

Critics immediately questioned the effectiveness of any attempt to ban the party and suggested it might backfire.

The request will now be voted on by both houses of federal parliament within the next few weeks and if approved, would then proceed to Germany's Constitutional Court in the western city of Karlsruhe.

MESSAGE BOARD Germany today

The issue of whether to ban the anti-immigrant NPD has stirred vigorous debate in Germany, amid a rising number of neo-Nazi attacks on immigrants.

Some of the incidents have been linked to members of the NPD, which has increasingly become associated with young skinheads.

"In a country where there were gas chambers for the extermination of millions of Jews, it is impossible to tolerate organised anti-Semitism," Interior Minister Otto Schily said, adding: "The clear anti-Semitic profile of this party can be well documented."

The NPD has about 6,000 members and no seats in parliament.

Critics of the ban say the party could simply operate under a different name, or its members could go underground.

They also said the move could backfire if the NPD portrays itself as the victim of a political crackdown and attracts fresh support from other right-wing groups.

Libertarians said the move was undemocratic and that Germany is a mature enough democracy to tolerate fringe parties.

Conservative and leftist state interior ministers last month considered bipartisan support for the ban but stopped short when two states demurred.

Nevertheless, the government of Chancellor Gerhard insists that the party is not only unconstitutional, but it must be banned to prevent the flow of public campaign funding to it.

Last year, it was given about DM 1.1 million ($500,000) based on the number of votes it received.

If the courts approve the government's effort, it would be the first time Germany has banned a political group since a far-right party and a communist party were declared illegal in the 1950s.

A march against racism is planned here on Thursday, focused on demands to ban the NPD and to fight racist attacks.

Recent attack on immigrants attacks have come as Germany was seeking to lure foreign high-tech workers with permits.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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