France: Fillon, Juppe lead in presidential primary

By Hajer M’tiri

PARIS (AA) – Former French prime ministers Francois Fillon and Alain Juppe are set to face each other in a run-off vote next week to choose the center-right candidate for next year’s election following initial primary results released late Sunday.

Results from 8,400 of 10,229 polling stations show Fillon leading with 44 percent of the vote and Juppe in second place with 28 percent.

Former president and leader of the Les Republcains party, Nicolas Sarkozy, appears out of the race in third place with 21 percent.

"I feel no bitterness, no sadness,” Sarkozy said at a press conference in which he conceded.

As he congratulated Fillon and Juppe, he said he backs Fillon in the run-off but told supporters to make up their own minds but to never vote for extremists.

Seven candidates vied for the right and center-right nomination but recent polls showed Juppe, Sarkozy and Fillon running neck and neck.

The primary was open to all registered on the electoral roll and voters cast ballots for a €2 fee after signing a charter of values “to share the republican values of the right and center”.

The first round saw a historic turnout in which nearly 3 million voters participated, according to the organizing committee.

If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote that person would become the party’s presidential candidate. Short of that, the two candidates with the most votes would move to a run-off poll Nov. 27.

The Socialist party will hold its two-round primary in January. The two-round presidential election will be held April 23 and May 7.