Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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April 23, 2007

Sarkozy, Royal Win First Round in French Presidential Poll
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=172DA4A:A6F02AD83191E1601AE41E239F15F64B9574F7DCC14957C0 Run-off election
between Sarkozy and Royal takes place May 6 Preliminary results show
conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Segolene Royal have won the
first round of voting in the French presidential election. Sarkozy,
the former Interior Minister, held the lead with about 30 per cent of
the vote. Royal trailed with about 25 percent. Anita Elash reports for
VOA from Paris.







Segolene Royal, 22 Apr 2007Pollsters had predicted that Segolene Royal
and Nicolas Sarkozy would win in the first round, but there was also a
large number of undecided voters and that raised questions about
whether one of the alternate candidates would bump either of the
front-runners. But neither of the potential spoilers came close.
Centrist Francois Bayrou and far right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen
finished a distant third and fourth.

After the early results were announced, Sarkozy appealed to voters for
support.







Nicolas Sarkozy, 17 Apr 2007He said that by putting him in first place
and Royal in second, voters have said clearly that they want a full
debate between two ideas of the nation, two value systems and two
ideas about politics.



Royal made her speech in Melle, in southwestern France.

Voters have a clear choice on May 6 between two very different voices,
she said. She said she was extending her hand to everyone who believes
that the French must

change a system that no longer works.

Nearly 45 million eligible Frenchmen registered to vote and 85 percent
of those turned up at the polls.

The run -off election between Sarkozy and Royal takes place in two
weeks, on May 6.


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