A DECISION by Tavistock Town Council to co-opt two new councillors to fill vacant seats is an ?affront to democracy?, say local Liberal Democrats.

The party, which has three members on the 16-seat council, has vowed to boycott the co-option process.

The three Liberal Democrats ? Cllrs David and Olive Stapleton and Roy Connelly ? say they will not be encouraging candidates for the posts and will not participate in the appointment process.

Cllr David Stapleton said: ?These appointments are undemocratic. The recruitment and selection process by-passes the electorate.

?These appointments can only serve to further concentrate power on the town council into the hands of a number of councillors who are already showing themselves to be out of touch with Tavistock ratepayers.

?It would be a betrayal of our principles for Liberal Democrats to stand. We will not legitimise this process by our participation.?

The Liberal Democrat group said the two co-opted members would only serve on the council for three full meetings before the next round of town council elections to be held in the spring.

?After three months in office as appointees, in May 2003, when the next town council elections will take place, they will be able to walk away, accountable to no-one for whatever they have or have not done.

?Liberal Democrats will not be putting up candidates. We will not be helping to select them either,? said Cllr Stapleton.

The three Liberal Democrats also believe the council?s selection could be challenged by a failed candidate. They say the council?s appointment process must be transparent in how it selects candidates ? and accountable to the electorate.

They are calling for the council to make public the criteria for candidate selection and make sure an equal opportunities policy is followed.

The Liberal Democrats say that if the council does not get it right, a complaint afterwards to the Councillors? Standards Board of England and Wales by an aggrieved candidate could taint the two appointments.

They are also demanding declarations of interest from both councillors and candidates during the selection process.

Cllr Norma Woodcock, an Independent, said she felt it was a ?great shame? the Liberal Democrats intended to boycott the selection process.

?I would value the views of all members of the council when we are making this important decision,? she said.

Cllr Woodcock said she completely refuted the claim that co-option was undemocratic, as local government rules set down that if a vacancy arose within six months of full elections, the only way to fill it was by co-option.

?I think we would all wish that a by-election was able to be held, but this is what is laid down by law,? said Cllr Woodcock.

?It is more democratic to have 16 people having a voice on the council, representing the people of Tavistock, than having only 14 people,? she added.

Cllr Woodcock said she was hoping the town council would have a good number of applications submitted and she was looking forward to co-opted members being able to help with the important work the council had to do.

Mayor of Tavistock Cllr Marjorie Corner said the decision to fill the vacancies by co-option had been a democratic one: ?Co-option was decided by a majority vote of councillors. The fact that not all of us agree with it is ultimately irrelevant.?

Cllr Corner said although she had not been a supporter of the idea of co-option, there had been a clear majority in favour in a democratic vote taken at an extraordinary council meeting last month.

The vacancies arose because of the death of Liberal Democrat member Peter Donkin and the resignation due to ill-health of Independent John Wright.

The town council last week advertised in the Times for suitable candidates to come forward and apply for the vacancy in either the North or the South Ward. The closing date for the return of application forms is Tuesday, January 28.