ARMENIANS OF FRANCE TO SUPPORT JACQUES CHIRAC IN SECOND TOUR OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net - The first tour of the presidential elections was held in France Sunday. According to the preliminary data, acting President Jacques Chirac became the leader, as it was expected. According to the observers' forecasts, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin should have become his main rival. But absolutely unexpectedly leader of right-wing extremist "National front," 74-year-old Jean-Marie Le Pen took the second place. 17% of the constituents voted for him. (Chirac gathered nearly 20%.) Jospin, who collected 16,3 % of votes, left the electoral race. Thus, Chirac and Le Pen will compete in the second tour of the elections to be held May 5. It should be noted that the Armenian community of France supports the acting President. Let us remind that before the first tour of the elections the country Armenian organizations addressed the two main candidates questions concerning their attitude towards the attempts to deny the fact of the Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey, as well as towards the blockade held against Armenia by Turkey. Jaques Chirac noted in the response letter that "the fact of the genocide cannot be contested against." "One of the most fierce crimes of the last century is the point and revision of the history is inadmissible. Thus reconciliation can be achieved only resting on the facts," - the President stressed. Concerning the blockade against Armenia, Chirac noted that the fact evoked serious disturbance in Europe. In his words, the blockade hampers the development of the entire region. The President assured he would continue efforts to establish peace in the region.