PARIS (AFX) - The ruling centre-right UMP party's candidate, interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy, would win a second-round contest for April's presidential election, with 52 pct of the vote, compared with 48 pct for centre-left PS candidate Segolene Royal, according to a poll.
The poll by LH2 for RMC-BFM TV-20 Minutes put Sarkozy in the lead in the first round with 28 pct followed by Royal with 27 pct, and centre-right UDF candidate Francois Bayrou, third with 20 pct -- the highest rating he has achieved in any survey so far.
Sarkozy's score fell 2 points from an LH2 poll published a week ago, while Royal was unchanged and Bayrou gained 3 points.
The first round of the election will take place on April 22 with the second round run-off two weeks later on May 6.
In 2004, France was rocked by the first-round elimination of PS candidate Lionel Jospin, which sent far-right leader Jean Marie Le Pen into the second round against Jacques Chirac.
LH2's poll published today put Le Pen at 14 pct, up 1 point on the week. paris@afxnews.com afp/mrg/tw COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. AFX News and AFX Financial News Logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited
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