France's far-right expected to gain in regional election

Millions of French citizens began voting on Sunday to pick their representatives in regional councils across the country in a run-off likely to boost the chance of far-right Front National (FN) to win 2017 presidential election.

According to pollsters, the FN may come out first in six out of 12 regions, an unprecedented gain for the anti-immigrant party who is likely to benefit for rising security woes and immigrant crisis.

A survey by Ipsos pollster showed on Thursday that the eurosceptic far-rightists were seen leading the first round with 30 percent of the votes.

FN leader Marine Le Pen was expected to win control of France's northernmost area, Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie region, the country's third biggest one while her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen, was possibly coming first too in the southeastern Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region.

Hopes of former president Nicolas Sarkozy to record large victory for his Republicans party may be smashed as they are neck and neck with the far-rightists in opinion polls in the first round of regional election.

The governing Socialist Party, already licking their wounds following heavy losses in last year's local and European elections, has been bracing for losing most councils to either the conservatives or the FN despite sharp rise in President Francois Hollande's popularity, according to the country's pollsters.

"Voting for FN , taking the risk to make regions switching to the National Front is to add misfortune to misfortune," Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, vice president of the Republicans party told RTL radio.

Some 44.6 million French voters are registered as eligible to cast their ballots across the country's polling stations, which will close at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT), when results of the first round waiting to be released.

A total of 21,456 candidates represented in 171 lists are competing for seats in councils of 13 French regions to manage mainly local transport, education and unemployment.

Polling turnout for the first round election for the country's districts stood at 16.27 percent at 12 p.m. local time (1100 GMT), slightly up from 16.07 percent at the same time in 2010, the French Interior Ministry said on Sunday.

"The only thing we have to do is to vote. I hope that many French go to the polls, especially after the terrorist attacks. We are standing and our weapon is the ballot," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said after he voted in Evry, southeastern Paris.

Candidates have to collect half of the votes. Otherwise they will go to the second round scheduled for Dec. 13 and have to win at least 10 percent of the votes on Sunday. Enditem