MANILA, April 29: Philippines former First Lady Imelda Marcos withdrew today from next month's presidential election, saying she wanted to help prevent the campaign from becoming emotional and violent. The wife of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos has been far behind in popularity polls, with recent surveys giving her about two per cent of the vote.``To save the Filipino people from the ultimate injustice of a possible bloody election, I, Imelda Romualdez Marcos, now withdraw from the May 11, 1998, presidential race,'' she said in a statement read outside the government anti-graft court. Dressed in black and close to tears, she called on all Filipinos to help safeguard the votes in the election ``so that true democracy will prevail.''
Many in a group of about 100 supporters cried as she read the statement.Mrs Marcos also blamed ``relentless injustice,'' including descriptions of her as a nuisance candidate, for her withdrawal.
Before her withdrawal from the race, there were 11 presidential candidatescontesting the election.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
