Chirac and Jospin neck-and-neck

Two opinion polls have placed Presidential candidates Jacques Chirac and Lionel Jospin even in the final run-in to the first round of the elections on Sunday 21st April. The second round will be on 5th May.

The BVA-Paris match opinion poll revealed that in the first round, Chirac will be ahead by 0.5%, by 18.5% to 18% over Jospin, while in the second round, each candidate will receive exactly 50% of the vote.

Jean-marie Le Pen, the right-wing National Front contender (Fascist) is expected to get 14% of the vote, while the left-wing Trotskyist Arlette Laguiller is forecast to receive 9%.

Another poll carried out by SOFRES/Nouvelle Observateur, gives Chirac a narrow victory in the second round, of 51% to Jospin’s 49%.

Abstention is expected to be around 26% of the vote.

Emilie ACQUITAINE PRAVDA.Ru PARIS FRANCE