FRANCE: PARISIANS VOTE IN RUN-OFF ROUND OF COUNTRY'S MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Record ID: 328714

  • Title: FRANCE: PARISIANS VOTE IN RUN-OFF ROUND OF COUNTRY'S MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
  • Date: 18th March 2001
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MARCH 18, 2001)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF CITY HALL (2 SHOTS) 0.10 2. SV'S: INTERIOR VOTING STATION (2 SHOTS) 0.22 3. SV: WOMAN ENTERING VOTING BOOTH 0.31 4. SCU: WOMAN'S FEET VISIBLE BENEATH VOTING BOOTH CURTAIN 0.39 5. CU: LIST OF VOTERS 0.44 6. SV: WOMAN PUTTING VOTE INTO BALLOT BOX 0.54 7. SV: SOCIALIST FRONT-RUNNER BERTRAND DELANOE GIVING VOTER'S REGISTRATION CARD TO OFFICIALS 1.06 8. SCU: CAMERA OPERATOR 1.09 9. MV: BERTRAND DELANOE TAKING BALLOT AND ENTERING VOTING BOOTH 1.19 10. SV: BERTRAND DELANOE APPROACHING BALLOT BOX 1.25 11. SCU: BERTRAND DELANOE POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS AND DROPPING BALLOT INTO BOX 1.43 12. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) BERTRAND DELANOE SAYING: "I'm neither optimistic nor pessimistic. I'm serene. I love democracy so much that I'll accept tonight's result, whatever it is. And believe me, I'm sincere." 1.58 13. SV: BERTRAND DELANOE GETTING INTO CAR AND DRIVING OFF 2.10 14. SV: CONSERVATIVE PHILIPPE SEGUIN HANDING IN VOTER'S REGISTRATION CARD AND PICKING UP BALLOT 2.18 15. SV: PHILIPPE SEGUIN EXITING VOTING BOOTH, SHAKING HANDS WITH OFFICIALS, SIGNING VOTERS' LIST AND PLACING BALLOT IN BOX 2.56 16. CU OF BALLOTS 2.59 17. SV: INCUMBENT JEAN TIBERI ARRIVING AT POLLING STATION 3.08 18. SV: JEAN TIBERI HANDING IN REGISTRATION CARD AND SLIPPING BALLOT INTO BOX 3.40 19. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) JEAN TIBERI SAYING: "I regret that certain people have taken a heavy responsible in the Paris election by refusing to fuse the conservative lists, which would have been a determining factor for victory. Victory is still possible, even though it is more difficult. That's why we have mobilised to make the municipal majority win." 3.59 20. PAN DOWN: EXTERIOR 5TH ARRONDISSEMENT MAYOR'S OFFICE 4.04 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 2nd April 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVAAE06S40S1YHR2UQQFMX9L9G24
  • Story Text: Paris mayoral candidates Bertrand Delanoe, the Socialist
    runaway favourite, conservative Philippe Seguin and
    rebel incumbent Jean Tiberi slipped their votes into the
    ballot box as the run-off round of France's municipal
    elections opened under rainy skies.



    The run-off round of France's municipal elections opened
    on Sunday (18 March) under grey, rainy skies around the
    country, with both left and right hoping a strong turnout
    could help avoid looming defeats.

    Paris, the political stronghold of conservative President
    Jacques Chirac for the last quarter century, looked set to
    switch to the left after right-wing candidates ran a
    disastrous campaign fighting each other rather than their
    Socialist rival.

    Socialist Bertrand Delanoe, the runaway favourite,
    Philipee Seguin, the official candidate of Chirac's
    conservative RPR, and rebel incumbent Jean Tiberi slipped
    their votes into the ballot box before hoards of photographers
    and television cameras early in the day.

    "I'm neither optimistic nor pessimistic. I'm serene. I
    love democracy so much that I'll accept tonight's result,
    whatever it is. And believe me, I'm sincere," Delanoe said.

    Seguin has refused to fuse his list with Tiberi's, a
    decision which is almost certain to hand victory to Delanoe.

    However they did cut a last-minute deal, by which rebel
    Tiberi withdrew most of his candidates to allow Seguin's slate
    to confront the left. But it amounted to an uneasy
    eleventh-hour truce that could not hide the split among
    conservatives.

    "I regret that certain people have taken a heavy
    responsible in the Paris election by refusing to fuse the
    conservative lists, which would have been a determining factor
    for victory. Victory is still possible, even though it is more
    difficult," Tiberi told reporters after voting his 5th
    arrondissement stronghold.

    Delanoe's victory would end 130 years of right-wing rule
    over Paris and give Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin a
    boost in his bid next year to oust Chirac from the Elysee
    Palace.

    Lyon and Toulouse, two other large cities governed by the
    right, were also within reach of Socialist candidates.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register