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Austrian presidential candidate calls on challenger to denounce provocations

Xinhua, October 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

Austrian presidential candidate Alexander Van der Bellen has called on his opponent Norbert Hofer to "clearly distance" himself from the verbal provocations of his right-wing party leader.

In an interview with the local Kurier newspaper published on Thursday, the former Greens leader said he will not stay silent about Hofer's Freedom Party (FPOe)'s recent provocative rhetoric on the refugee issue and the country's future.

He called on Hofer to distance himself from the comment of FPOe's leader Heinz-Christian Strache, who claimed on Monday that in light of the refugee crisis, a civil war in the country is "not unlikely."

Van der Bellen said such statements may cause damage to Austria, and have a negative impact on how the country is seen abroad.

In addition, he criticized a Facebook post by Strache where the FPOe leader posted the song of "Be Blessed Without End," which was used as the Austrian national anthem during the one-party fascist Federal State of Austria period between 1934 and 1938.

Van der Bellen said while the creator of the song Ottokar Kernstock passed away in 1928 before the Nazi era, he was still known as both a German nationalist and an ultra nationalist.

The song has the nickname of "Hakenkreuzlied," or "the Swastika Song," he said.

The Austrian National Council announced last week to reschedule the run-off round for the presidential election for Dec. 4. Endi