Split hampers 'Sarajevo' campaign

PARIS (AP) - French intellectuals were split yesterday over whether to run for the European parliament, with some vowing to remain in the race to push their pro-Bosnia cause despite the pullout by some leading figures.

The list, Europe Begins at Sarajevo, led by cancer specialist Leon Scwartzenberg 'will go to the polls', said Pierre-Francois Oudot, a spokesman for some of the list's members.

Mr Oudot said the decision by the philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy and others on Monday to withdraw from the race was 'shameful'.

The withdrawal came just three days after the intellectuals, emboldened by public opinion polls showing growing support, announced on the deadline day for filing that they would run in the 13 June election.

Mr Levy, who co-produced a documentary on Bosnia, and other intellectuals wanted to increase pressure to lift the arms embargo on the Muslim Bosnian government in its two-year war with Serb militias.

All those on the 87-member list technically remained registered in the election. But it was not clear how many remained active in the race. Mr Oudot noted that the communique released by Mr Levy 'has only nine intellectuals' including Mr Levy, Andre Glucksmann, Pascal Bruckner and Romain Goupil pulling out.

Explaining the withdrawal on Monday, Mr Levy told French television: 'If we'd gone fishing for votes, we'd have divided the friends of Sarajevo instead of bringing them together.'