April 23, 2007 - 15:10 AMT
Nicola Sarkozy and Segolene Royal are in the lead of French Presidential campaign
According to the final results of the presidential elections in France declared by Home Office, the leader of "Union for Popular Movement" 52-year-old Nicola Sarkozy gathered 31.11 percent of votes, France Press reports. 25.84 percent of voters supported Sarkozy's nearest competitor - 53-year-old Segolen Royal, representative from Socialistic party. Together with Sarkozy she will participate in the second stage of presidential elections on May 6. Candidate of right centrists François Bayrou got 18.55 percent of votes, and leader of National Front Jean-Marie Le Pen - 10.51 percent.

84.6 percent of those eligible from nearly 44.5 million registered voters participated in the voting. This is similar to the record fixed in presidential elections of 1965. This information does not include those 820 000 bulletins that were cast French citizens abroad. These results will be published on Monday.

According to polls in the result of the second stage Sarkozy will win the election at a ratio of 54 to 46 percent. Earlier French media reported 5 left wing candidates who totally gathered 10 percent of votes, called on their electorate to vote for Royal. The main struggle between the two candidates for the post of Jacques Chirac will develop for those voters who have supported François Bayrou during the first stage, Lenta.ru reports.