Count In French Presidential Election At 2000 GMT

Following are Interior Ministry results in the first round of France's presidential election.

Following are Interior Ministry results in the first round of France's presidential election on Sunday with 75.39 percent of vote counted.

France will hold the run-off round of the election between the top two candidates on May 6.

 
 CANDIDATE                                    PERCENTAGE OF VOTE
Nicolas Sarkozy  -  Union for Popular Movement           30.50
 Segolene Royal  -  Socialist party                       25.05
 Francois Bayrou  -  Union for French Democracy           18.34
 Jean-Marie Le Pen  -  National Front                     11.20

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 Olivier Besancenot  -  Revolutionary Communist League     4.35
 Philippe de Villiers  -  Movement For France              2.46
 Marie-George Buffet  -  Communist Party                   1.93
 Dominique Voynet  -  Greens                               1.57
 Arlette Laguiller  -  Workers' Struggle                   1.45
 Frederic Nihous  -  Hunting, Fishing, Nature and

                  Traditions Party                      1.41
 Jose Bove  -  Farmer-activist                             1.38
 Gerard Schivardi  -  Workers' Party                       0.37

 
 Registered voters covered by count so far           32,846,600
 Abstentions                                      15.43 percent
 Turnout                                          84.57 percent
 Spoiled ballots                                   1.32 percent
 Valid turnout                                    83.25 percent

(Reuters)