Liberec - An association of mayors in the Liberec region, Starostové pro Liberecký kraj, has published on its website a computer game in which the player can choose the governor of the Liberec region by killing other candidates.

"It is a way to relax a bit in the middle of a tough election campaign," said Martin Půta, the association chairman.

Yet, some experts have denounced the project. "It may sound banal, but the symbolicism is particularly dangerous," said political scientist Tomáš Lebeda.

Bullets? Unpleasant questions!

In the game, a player can determine the composition of the regional assembly by shooting unwanted candidates.

"Our game is designed for the supporters of all political parties, because every player can choose their own spectrum of representatives. If you are a pacifist, as we are, you can imagine that you are not shooting at the candidates with bullets, but rather with pertinent questions that will trap them," says the game's manual.

"And if you are not a pacifist, use this game to relax and get rid of your negative emotions against political entities you may in fact be in love with," the manual adds.

'Beyond good taste'

Lebeda still thinks that by releasing the game the association took a step in a wrong direction and failed to consider all potential implications.

"This method has no place in a civilized campaign. It is beyond good taste to portray violence against a politician. I would expect something like this from extremists, but not from the mayors. I would expect the mayors will want to draw attention by more sophisticated topics," said Lebeda.

The expert thinks the mayors' claim that bullets in their game are a metaphor for unpleasant questions is hypocrisy.

The Liberec region officials are not the first to use a computer game in an election campaign. In the past a Civic Democrat (ODS) campaign also used a computer game, except candidates were chosen in an athletics competition rather than in a gunfight.