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Voter turnout in France's right-center primary exceeds one million at midday

Xinhua, November 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Voter turnout in the first round of France's conservative presidential primary election on Sunday had topped a million by midday (1100 GMT), Thierry Solere, president of the vote organizing committee said.

1.138 million votes had been cast in 67 percent of the 10,228 polling stations in France's mainland "which allows us to appreciate a participation that is obviously very important," Solere told RTL and LCI radios.

"There are a lot of French people who are mobilizing. I think we will surpass the three million voters (in the first round)," he added.

Seven candidates are competing to win the conservative ticket to challenge for the upcoming two-round presidential election scheduled for April 23 and May 7.

The top two winners of the first round of the primary on Sunday will compete in the second round of the primary next week, unless one of the seven contenders collects more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round and will directly be nominated as the presidential candidate.

The center-right candidate will face a Socialist candidate and Marine Le Pen, head of the far-right National Front party, during the presidential race next year. Endit