France's Sarkozy attacks Royal for "riot" warning

PARIS, May 5 (Reuters) Voting began overseas in French presidential elections today and frontrunner Nicolas Sarkozy attacked ''warlike'' remarks from rival Segolene Royal, who said his election tomorrow could trigger riots.

Voting for the run-off ballot got under way at 1530 IST in France's tiny overseas territory of St Pierre and Miquelon off Canada's east coast, a day before polls open in mainland France.

About 1 million French nationals overseas are eligible to vote a day early, in a move intended to boost turnout. The rest of France's 44.5 million voters cast their ballots tomorrow.

In an interview released by France's Le Parisien daily on its Web site late yesterday, rightwinger Sarkozy branded his Socialist rival's warning of violence if she lost Sunday's election as a desperate last throw of the dice.

''This warlike language is the negation of basic democratic rules,'' Sarkozy said. ''No doubt it's because she's demoralised,'' he added. Royal trailed by 10 points in the last polls published on Friday ahead of a pre-vote embargo.

''To explain that if people don't vote for one candidate there will be violence is quite simply to refuse the democratic and republican expression of opinion,'' Sarkozy said.

''We've never seen this before, never. It's a worrying form of intolerance,'' he added, dismissing talk of violence in France's tinderbox suburbs should he triumph.

The interview could not be published in today's print edition of Le Parisien because of an election ban on polls and campaigning on the eve of polling, to ensure voters a ''day of reflection'' before the ballot.

Royal yesterday told RTL radio, ''choosing Nicolas Sarkozy would be a dangerous choice'', acknowledging that she was breaking a taboo by raising the prospect of violence.

''SCUM'' JIBE Pressed as to whether there would actually be unrest if Sarkozy won, Royal said, ''I think so, I think so,'' referring to suburbs hit by rioting in 2005.

Critics of Sarkozy accuse him of heavy-handed policing as interior minister and say his ''scum'' jibe, directed at young thugs he said were ruining life in one multi-ethnic suburb, fuelled the worst riots in mainland France in 40 years.

Royal went on the offensive during a fiery television debate between the two on Wednesday night. Sarkozy, portrayed as aggressive and ruthlessly ambitious by his opponents, questioned whether she was calm enough to be head of state.

Two polls carried out yesterday gave him 55 percent to 45 per cent for Royal, suggesting the Socialist will need a political tsunami to sweep away her rival if she is to become the first woman president of France.

British bookmaker William Hill said bets on the election had been pouring in, with big money going on Sarkozy; one man had put 18,900 pounds on him to win the presidency.

Sarkozy topped the first round vote on April 22 with 31.2 per cent of the ballot against 25.9 per cent for Royal.

REUTERS SM RAI2024