Majority of France's blacks suffers race bias-poll

PARIS, Feb 1 (Reuters) More than half of France's black residents say they suffer from discrimination, the first French survey on its population of African and Caribbean origin has showed.

Coming out three months ahead of a presidential election and just over a year after riots in ethnically diverse suburbs, the survey by pollster TNS Sofres adds to concern over how France is dealing with its minorities.

Fifty-six percent of France's estimated 2 million black adults say they suffer from discrimination, with 37 per cent saying the situation has become worse over the past 12 months, the survey published in Le Parisien daily showed, yesterday.

''It's monstrous,'' said Patrick Lozes, whose Representative Council of Black Associations in France (CRAN) ordered the poll.

''In France, there are three times fewer black people in senior management in companies than white people. Why would black people rather be workers?'' he told the daily.

''There are almost two million black voters. They will make the difference at the polling booth in 2007,'' he said, adding that four-fifths of France's black residents are citizens.

Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, the conservative presidential candidate, and his Socialist rival Segolene Royal have both vowed to make France a fairer place for all.

Royal has promised more money for schools in poor neighbourhoods, where many decendants of immigrants live.

Sarkozy has said a ''French-style'' positive discrimination should do more for those who have less. However, it would not operate on the basis of ethnicity but rather on economic, social and educational criteria.

But local groups in poor suburbs, where unemployment is four to five times the national average, say the vows are not enough.

France was shocked in 2005, when youths angry about discrimination, poverty and unemployment torched thousands of cars in the high-rising suburbs, forcing the government to use emergency powers to quell the unrest.

Lozes said his organisation did not rule out nominating their own black presidential candidate, a step that runs counter to the official view that France does not recognise minorities but treats all citizens equally regardless of race or creed.

''The blacks need a symbolic message -- the nomination of 8 percent of blacks in the next government would bode well. We are also asking for specific measures to favour access to grandes ecoles (top universities), media and the labour market.'' REUTERS SI MIR RAI0920