French election rivals eye centrist Bayrou

PARIS, Apr 25 (Reuters) French Socialist Segolene Royal cut the gap behind her right-wing presidential rival Nicolas Sarkozy in an opinion poll as both courted centrist leader Francois Bayrou today.

Bayrou, who took 7 million votes in the first round of the election on Sunday to finish third ahead of far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, could play a key role in deciding who wins the final run-off between Sarkozy and Royal on May 6.

Bayrou is considering plans for a new centrist party and is not expected to endorse either candidate but a news conference he is due to give at 3:30 p.m. (1900 IST) will be closely watched for any signs of support.

''Which way will Bayrou lean?'' asked the daily Le Parisien on its front page.

Both Royal and Sarkozy have promised to put members of Bayrou's centre-right UDF party in their government if they are elected and Royal has appealed to Bayrou for a public debate over ground they might share.

In an interview with the daily Le Monde, Sarkozy said his government would include a group representing ideas of the centre on issues such as Europe, social reform and the institutions of the Republic.

But, with a comfortable lead in the first round of the election, he has less need of a swing and he said he was not interested in backroom deals.

''The electors don't belong to Francois Bayrou any more than they do to Segolene Royal, Jean-Marie Le Pen or Nicolas Sarkozy,'' he told the newspaper. ''Don't just reduce voters to their choice in the first round.'' ''ANYONE BUT SARKO'' The latest opinion polls continue to give Sarkozy, the clear winner on Sunday, an edge but a TNS Sofres poll commissioned by conservative daily Le Figaro and published in its today's edition showed his lead down to just two percentage points.

Another poll by the Ipsos institute gave him a much more comfortable lead of some 7 points.

In the April 22 first round, Sarkozy polled 31.2 per cent, Royal 25.9 and Bayrou 18.6 per cent.

With the campaign in its final stages, jobs, security and immigration are still the main issues but the focus has moved more and more to personality.

The left is seeking to build on widely held concerns about former interior minister Sarkozy's combative character and mobilise an ''Anyone but Sarko'' vote.

''Ten good reasons not to vote Sarkozy,'' the left-wing daily Liberation splashed over its front page, following up with a litany of objections to Sarkozy's tough views on justice, the police, immigration, social welfare and power.

Although support for Royal is often tempered by doubts about her competence and reserves about her aloof personal style, surveys show even many conservative and centrist voters worry about Sarkozy, despite attempts to soften his style.

According to the TNS Sofres survey, 46 per cent of Bayrou's voters support Royal, against 25 per cent for Sarkozy and 29 percent who have yet to make up their minds, although other polls have showed support roughly evenly split.

At the elected level, however, the approach of parliamentary elections in June has focused many deputies in Bayrou's UDF party on life in a new government and support appears to be leaning towards Sarkozy.

The UDF has traditionally been the parliamentary allies of Sarkozy's ruling UMP party and as many as 11 of the group's 29 deputies have publicly backed Sarkozy, according to Le Figaro.

REUTERS ABM HT1747