Victory Over Rightist Extremism Hailed in France
Re-elected French President Jacques Chirac and a large number of politicians from both right and left political spectrum in France on Sunday evening hailed the presidential run-off results as a victory of republican values against rightist extremism.
The only exception came from defeated far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen, who admitted defeat while describing Chirac's victory as "equivocal" and predicting that Chirac's coalition would collapse before June's legislative elections.
Chirac, who won a landslide victory with about 82 percent of the votes, saluted the French people who reaffirmed their attachment to the values of the Republic.
"We just lived through a period of great anxiety for the Nation. And this evening, in a grand surge, France has reaffirmed her attachment to the value of the Republic," he said.
"I will take action with determination and in the spirit of unity," he said, adding that a government of mission will be set up in the coming days to answer to people's preoccupations and bring solutions to social and economic problems.
Alain Juppe, former prime minister and a close ally of Chirac, said: "The historical responsibility of Chirac is to rally, to listen to the message of the French and to take actions."
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, right-wing senator and one of the possible nominees to head the new government of Chirac, said he is "very moved" by Chirac's victory, which constitutes a "great republican surge."
"We need other methods, other attitudes, other actions. For Jacques Chirac, it is a very heavy responsibility," he said, referring to the upcoming legislative elections, in which the left is ready to make all efforts to win a parliamentary majority.
Nicolas Sarkozy, another possible nominee for the post of prime minister, said the French people had made a "noble and useful choice."
Sarkozy said he believes that an eventual "co-habitation" brings confusion. If the left wins the legislative elections, Chirac will have to lead the country with a government formed by the left coalition.
While claiming its part in Chirac's victory, the left has called for a rally within its camp for the legislative elections.
Chirac's victory, which is "without equivocality", is "a referendum on the values of the democracy," said Francois Hollande, first secretary of the Socialist Party.
The left should join forces to win the legislative elections, said the new Socialist leader, adding that "a rally of the left -- which is the condition of success -- and also of the forces of the youth, the labor and the culture" is needed.
"Chirac is elected not for a program, but simply for a mandate to fully revive the democracy," he said, adding that "the right would be wrong to claim the privilege of confidence of our country and to demand the essential of power."
Laurent Fabius, Minister of Economy of the Socialist government, also announced his confidence in winning the legislative election one month ahead.
"My conviction is that the left still has all chances," he said, adding that three conditions are needed -- unity, a good listening to people's voice and a good economic, social and political message to people's demands.
Jean-Pierre Chevenement, a former minister under several Socialist governments and a center-left candidate who was eliminated in the first round on April 21, said Chirac's victory is a "beautiful victory of the democracy and of France." However, it never equals to a "plebiscite" for him, he added.
Noel Mamere, a candidate of the Green party, also said that the run-off results mean more of a victory of the democracy than of Chirac himself.
Communist leader Robert Hue said Chirac "can not translate the results into a vote in favor of him in person, nor of the policy that he proposes."
Chirac Re-elected with 81.7 to 82.5 Percent of Votes
Winning 81.7 to 82.5 percent of the ballots cast in the presidential run-off on Sunday, French incumbent President Jacques Chirac was re-elected for a new term, reported French television networks.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, the anti-immigrant and anti-European Union candidate of the far-right Front National (FN), has got 17.5 to 18.3 percent of the votes, said French televisions quoting estimates of France's major polling institutions such as IPSOS, SOFRES and CSA.
In past elections, results of surveys on election day were always in line with the official results announced later by the Interior Ministry.
The turnout rate of the final round of French presidential election Sunday stood at 81.2 percent, reported French television TF1 quoting estimations of SOFRES polling institution.
The turnout rate of the first round on April 21 was 71.6 percent.
The counting started at 6 p.m. at some voting bureau while bureau in large cities such as Paris, Lyon and Marseilles were closed at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT) or 8 p.m. (1800 GMT).
The official results will be announced later Sunday evening or early Monday morning.
Le Pen Admits Defeat
French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen Sunday admitted his defeat at the hands of incumbent President Jacques Chirac.
Le Pen called the result a defeat "for the hopes of the French" and predicted that Chirac's coalition would collapse before June's legislative elections.
French television networks quoted polling institutions estimates as saying that Le Pen got 17.9-18.3 percent of the votes, as against 81.7-82.5 percent for Chirac.
(Xinhua News Agency May 6, 2002)
