France's Sarkozy Still Ahead Before Election

French presidential frontrunner Nicolas Sarkozy has held his lead over Socialist rival Segolene Royal before Sunday's election.

French presidential frontrunner Nicolas Sarkozy has held his lead over Socialist rival Segolene Royal before Sunday's election, although the gap was slightly smaller than in a previous survey, an opinion poll on Wednesday showed.

A poll for the BVA institute showed Sarkozy, head of the ruling UMP party, on 52 percent ahead of Royal on 48, a slightly narrower lead than the previous BVA poll which showed Sarkozy on 53 and Royal on 47 points. The poll was taken on Monday, following 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.