German migrant party to boycott coming election

By Cuneyt Karadag

BERLIN

The vice-chairman of a German political party which campaigns on migrant issues said on Wednesday he will run the Berlin Marathon on Sunday instead of voting in upcoming federal elections being held the same day.

Speaking to journalists in front of the Bundestag in Berlin, Ismet Misirlioglu -- wearing sports-style clothing -- renewed his party's call for migrants with voting rights in Germany to boycott the Sept. 24 election.

Misirlioglu said he will run in the 42-kilometer (26-mile) marathon in Berlin to protest against the 42 other political parties taking part in the federal polls.

The Alliance for Innovation and Justice (BIG), which was established mainly by migrants and Turks in 2010, claims that mainstream German parties have manipulated the election campaign by targeting Turkish government officials.

"They have distorted real problems such as discrimination, and inequality of opportunity in Germany," Misirlioglu claimed.

The country is facing extreme populism, anti-democratic approaches and hostility to Turkey during the campaign, he added.

The party -- which is not running in the federal elections -- wants to send an MEP to the European Parliament in the 2019 elections as there is no threshold and 180,000 votes are enough to be elected.