FRANCE: Conservative French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy woos voters in Corsica as Socialist Segolene Royal gains the support of union leader Jose Bove

During a visit to Corsica on Monday (April 30), French presidential frontrunner Nicolas Sarkozy said that Corsica was a symbol and stressed that the island was part of France. "I wanted to go to Corsica because Corsica is a symbol," he told a cheering crowd in Porto Vecchio. "Corsica, it is France, Corsica is the Republic and a candidate to the presidential elections, who is worthy of the name, goes to Corsica to thank the Corsicans for their attachment to the Republic and the incorporation (of Corsica) to France", he said to cheering suppporters. Speaking of security, Sarkozy was critical of Corsican separatists. "Firstly, Corsica needs security and I'll speak of it very clearly," Sarkozy said. "Those who lay bombs during the night, those cowards who wear masks, do not like Corsica, do not defend Corsica and are not loyal to the Corsican identity. Who can claim that they love Corsica and then blow up the public services needed by the Corsicans? It is stupid, it is absurd", he told his supporters. Before addresssing his supporters, Nicolas Sarkozy went on a walkabout in the streets of Porto Vecchio, as residents applauded and chanted: 'Nicolas, Nicolas." Sarkozy has maintained his lead over Socialist rival Segolene Royal before Sunday's second round election, opinion polls released on Monday showed. A poll for the Ifop institute showed Sarkozy, head of the ruling UMP party, at 53 percent ahead of Royal at 47, unchanged from an earlier survey. A separate poll for the LH2 institute put Sarkozy at 52 points and Royal at The two polls were taken on Friday (April 27) and Saturday (April 28), amid a controversy over a debate between Royal and Francois Bayrou, the centrist who finished third in the first round and whose 7 million voters could prove key to deciding the race. Sarkozy was accused of pressuring media organisations to try to prevent the debate -- a charge his camp denied. Meanwhile, Socialist candidate Segolene Royal, eager to woo centrist voters and boost her chances of becoming president, said on Monday she might appoint a popular leftist moderate as her prime minister if she is elected. She appeared at a news conference with former presidential candidate and union leader Jose Bove, who called for people to vote for Royal. Sarkozy topped the opening ballot with 31.2 percent of the vote while Royal came second with 25.9 percent. Centrist leader Francois Bayrou was third with 18.6 percent and far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen fourth with 10.4 percent. Recent opinion polls suggest Sarkozy will beat Royal by 52-53 percent to 47-48 percent, however he has lost some ground in recent days thanks to concerted efforts by Royal to attract the seven million voters who backed Bayrou.

ITN Source | May 1, 2007

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