FRANCE: Residents in poorer suburbs outside Paris hope to bring change through voting

Record ID: 563126

  • Title: FRANCE: Residents in poorer suburbs outside Paris hope to bring change through voting
  • Date: 23rd April 2007
  • Summary: YOUNG MAN WITH ELECTORAL CARD COLLECTING VOTING SLIPS WOMAN VOTE IN BALLOT BOX WOMAN SIGNING ELECTORAL ROLL
  • Embargoed: 8th May 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEBM3CRL4MI1974MXPTR6USVP
  • Story Text: As residents in the poorer suburbs -- or 'banlieue' -- outside Paris vote in the presidential elections, many for the first time, they say their complaints about poor housing and lack of recreation areas have been left unanswered for 20 years. With over one million voters in these areas, they could sway the election results. Residents of Clichy-sous-Bois, a poor suburb on the eastern outskirts of Paris, on Sunday (April 22) listed concerns such as poor housing and lack of recreation areas as they cast their ballots in the first round of the presidential elections.
    Just a few kilometres from the famous sights of central Paris, the poorer suburbs -- or 'banlieue' -- house thousands of unemployed young immigrants, many with little hope of pulling out of poverty and even less hope of finding a job.
    Many residents of the poorer suburbs are voting for the first time, and their vote could potentially sway the result.
    "For the presidential (elections), it's the first time. What motivated me to vote -- already lots of people from the suburbs are going to vote -- we have more or less the same opinion," said Lys, a young resident, adding that the explosion of violence in suburbs across France in 2005 was a contributing factor to his decision to vote.
    Many people living in these areas still have to cope with poverty, discrimination and social conflict. Although efforts have been made to improve the situation, there has been litle impact.
    "We are badly housed, there isn't even a playing field in the housing estate and there is nowhere to play, the little ones play in the things from the rubbish bins," said Lys.
    Most people have little faith in promises made by politicians and fear the problem will get worse if the new president fails to address the issue.
    "Twenty years on we have the same problems, we are still making the same list of complaints," said Samir Mihi of the Association for Liberty Equality Fraternity Together United (ACLEFEU), which was set up by youths from riot-hit suburbs.
    "We have toured throughout France to see what people are suffering and made the same list of problems that we are seeing in the suburbs," said Mihi.
    In recognition of the significant growth in the electoral population in these areas, which account for between seven and nine percent of new voters, even the centre-right hardliner Nicolas Sarkozy added the banlieue to his campaign trail. But residents are not swayed by the politicians' campaigning, and the former interior minister's pledge to clean crime-ridden estates with a power hose and rid them of the rioters poisoning life there sparked animosity towards him.
    The UMP party leader has called for a national plan which would set up a year of professional training to help every young person from the suburbs to get a job.
    The Socialist Party presidential candidate Ségolène Royal is also campaigning with pledges to help those in socially-deprived areas. Royal's presidential bid includes a proposal to provide 10,000 euros in financial support for business start ups. Her supporters were also in Vitry on Saturday (April 21), handing out leaflets, and received a warmer welcome.
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