BRUSSELS. Apr 3 Exiled leaders of Algeria's banned Islamic Salvation Front called here Wednesday for a boycott of legislative elections scheduled in Algeria for June 5, but at the same time appealed for an "end to the bloodshed" in which at least 60.000 people have died since 1992. reports AFP.

The FIS leadership, at what was its first press conference in Belgium, appealed for a "negotiated political settlement" with the secular government in Algiers to "restore peace".

The FIS. which was dissolved in March 1992. has already said it will not be fielding any candidates in the polls.

Abdelkrim Ould-Adda, spokesman for the FIS Executive Bureau in exile, said the FIS had decided not to let its members be candidates on the lists of other opposition parties with which it signed a "national contract" in Rome in January 1995.

Ould-Adda said the legislative elections "cannot yield a settlement" to the Algerian crisis. He said the outcome was "rigged in advance" so as to ensure the victory of the pro-presidential Democratic National Rally (RND) set up a few • weeks ago.

The FIS. whose founding member Abassi Madani and Afi Belhadj are detained at a secret location, called unsuccessfully with other opposition parties for a boycott of the November 1995 presidential election organised and won by President Liamine Zeroual.

This time however, virtually all the opposition parties are taking part in the election, apparently fearing that if they do not. they will be totally marginalised.

Ould-Adda said the FIS "respected" the "freedom of parties to make the choices they deemed appropriate".