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Last Updated: Sunday, 22 April 2007, 16:18 GMT 17:18 UK

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Turnout soars in key French vote

It is the highest turnout in a first round since at least 1981
French voters have been streaming to the polls to cast their ballot in a presidential election seen as the nation's most unpredictable in decades.
With three hours to go, nearly 74% had already voted, exceeding the total turnout for the last elections in 2002.

Twelve hopefuls are seeking a spot in the second-round run-off on 6 May.

The leading candidates are centre-right Nicolas Sarkozy, socialist Segolene Royal, centrist Francois Bayrou and far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.

French citizens living abroad voted on Saturday - starting with the tiny island territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon off Canada's Atlantic coast and followed by French citizens in other overseas territories and expatriates in the Americas.

This was a result of a rule change to prevent voters in the Americas hearing early results from France before they had a chance to cast their ballots.

Whoever wins, says the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus, it will mark a change of political generation and perhaps a shift in French international priorities, making this election matter even to those outside France.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6580363.stm