Polls open in French primary to pick Socialist presidential candidate

Record ID: 165273

  • Title: Polls open in French primary to pick Socialist presidential candidate
  • Date: 22nd January 2017
  • Summary: EVRY, FRANCE (JANUARY 22, 2017) (REUTERS) POSTER SHOWING CANDIDATES FOR LEFT PRIMARIES OUTSIDE POLLING STATION VOTER PUTTING BALLOT INSIDE BOX VOTER COMING OUT OF BOOTH VOTER PUTTING BALLOT INSIDE BOX AND SIGNING LIST VOTING BOOTHS VOTER ENTERING BOOTH VOTER SELECTING HIS BALLOT INSIDE BOOTH VARIOUS OF MAN SUBMITTING HIS BALLOT VOTER SIGNING LIST VOTING BOOTH (SOUNDBITE) (French) MUSIC PROFESSOR, PIERRE GERNIOUX, SAYING: "I think it's important to express ourselves. We have a choice to say what we think, it does not happen often. So it's important to come here. And after, the (elections) are due in May that will be the conclusion. And it's important, because the choice will be for five years. So we must express ourselves." VOTERS QUEUING (SOUNDBITE) (French) TEACHER, ALAIN CAY, SAYING: "I think (the left) must correct all the faults that they've made in the past, to correct them with some hindsight. And they must think of all the French, all of them. It's not just left, left, or right, right, but they must consider all of France." VOTER HANDING IN HIS BALLOT
  • Embargoed: 5th February 2017 10:39
  • Keywords: voting France election primary Socialist presidential
  • Location: EVRY, FRANCE
  • City: EVRY, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA001605V5TZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Voting got under way on Sunday (January 22) to whittle down Socialist candidates for the French presidential ticket to two from seven, with ex-prime minister Manuel Valls facing an outside risk of failing to make the run-off vote in a week's time.
    Opinion polls suggest no Socialist has much chance of winning the presidential election itself this coming spring, but they show the outcome of the beleaguered ruling party's primary having a potential impact on who actually does replace Francois Hollande at the Elysee Palace.
    Voters in the suburb of Evry south of Paris said despite the Socialist party's poor showing in surveys, it was still important to make their voices heard.
    "It's important to come here. And after, the (elections) are due in May, that will be the conclusion. And it's important, because the choice will be for five years. So we must express ourselves," music professor Pierre Gernioux said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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