MONSIEUR OR MADAME?

Sabah, Turkey
Reuters
April 23 2007

44 million French people have voted in the first tour of presidential
elections. The election dominated by right-wing front-runner Nicolas
Sarkozy and Socialist Segolene Royal, who hopes to be the first woman
elected head of state.

Elections in France carry an important role in Turkey’s membership
to the EU since Segolene Royal supports Turkey while Sarkozy opposes
Turkey’s membership. Both candidates want Turkey to recognize Armenian
genocide.

French turn out in force for presidential election

French voters flocked to choose a new president on Sunday in an
election dominated by right-wing front-runner Nicolas Sarkozy and
Socialist Segolene Royal, who hopes to be the first woman elected
head of state.

Sarkozy, a tough-talking former interior minister, led Royal and the
other 10 candidates in opinion polls throughout the long campaign.

But neither was on course to obtain an absolute majority, making a
run-off between them likely on May 6.

The campaign was characterized by calls for change after 12 years of
conservative rule by President Jacques Chirac which have left one of
the world’s wealthiest nations divided and in need of economic reform,
job creation and a dose of self belief.

"The French people know the importance of this vote, its seriousness,
and I share their sentiment of living through a very important
day," Royal told reporters after casting her vote in the western
Poitou-Charentes region where she is leader.

Royal, 53, has pledged to re-unite the country and build a "fairer
and stronger" France where all citizens would be equal. The ruling
UMP party’s Sarkozy, 52, has promised a break with the past, and a
crackdown on crime and illegal immigration.

Voter turnout was more than 31 percent at 1000 GMT, the Interior
Ministry said, the highest rate at this stage since 1981 and about 10
percentage points higher than at the same time in the last presidential
election in 2002.

The brisk voting in sunny weather followed a big rise in voter
registration before the election and reflected widespread concern
that voter apathy could lead to another shock after far-right leader
Jean-Marie Le Pen, reached the second-round run-off in 2002.