Primary PS: voting in suspense for seven candidates to choose between – The Obs

Paris (AFP) – Seven candidates to choose between: the first round of the primary organized by the PS opened on Sunday at 9: 00 A.M., a poll to strong suspense to three months of a presidential election that promises to be difficult for the final winner, whatever it is.

Manuel Valls, Arnaud Montebourg and Benoît Hamon seem to be in the best position according to the latest polls, but only two finalists will be competing in the second round in a week, at the end of a blitz.

voters have until 19: 00 to go in the voting booths, where they can vote for a contribution of one euro.

The first significant digits are expected at noon and 17: 00: they will focus on the participation.

The organizers are hoping that a strong mobilisation of voters will give the chosen candidate the momentum necessary to defeat the forecasts, current, and move into the duel presidential final on 7 may, currently rather promised to François Fillon and Marine Le Pen.

Despite a campaign heckled, the former Prime minister Manual Valls hopes that his experience will allow him to win against two former ministers slingers, Arnaud Montebourg and Benoît Hamon.

This last, of which the project of universal income is considered utopian by most of his opponents, enjoys a good momentum in the polls. “I have the feeling that our time has come,” said he launched to the voters who came to listen to Toulouse in their last meeting on Friday.

A fourth former socialist minister, Vincent Peillon is distanced in voting intentions. The same goes for environmentalists, François de Rugy and Jean-Luc Bennahmias, the president of the Party’s radical left Sylvia Pinel.

traveling in Chile, François Hollande, who had surprised in December by waiving the right to run for a second term in office and refrained from any comment. “I am interested in the French political life”, he simply stated, noting that “if it was the opposite, it seems that there is a problem.”

“what’s the good of a socialist candidate?” -

While the PS is following with anguish the enthusiasm aroused by the former minister, Emmanuel Macron, and the representative of France insubordinate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who has the support of the communists, its leaders argued that the vote of millions of voters will bring more legitimacy than any meeting room well filled.

“I have the weakness to believe that the one who is going to win, whatever it is, will be able to rally behind, and it is precisely the strength of the ballot and the importance of the suffrage which can justify the alliances to come”, said on Sunday Thomas Clay, president of the High authority of the primary citizens interviewed on Europe 1.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, meanwhile, has estimated that a disclaimer, in fine, of the nominee during the primary “is a part of probability”, either in its favour or for the benefit of Emmanuel Macron.

“They are in fifth position behind us (in voting intentions for the presidential election). It is so unfortunate that it? What good is a socialist candidate? What does it do?”, asked Mr Mélenchon in the Sunday Newspaper.

The chairman of the national organising Committee of the primary (CNOP), Christophe Borgel, table on a participation on the “floor” of 1.5 million voters, and hopes to be significantly higher than the two million.

This is far out the 4.3 and then 4.4 million voters of the two towers of the primary from the right in November.

In total, 7.530 offices to vote, or less than in 2011 (9.425) and less than in the primary from the right (10.228) are open.

applicants should vote, each in his fief in the morning: Arnaud Montebourg in Montret (Saone-et-Loire), Benoît Hamon in Trappes, Manuel Valls in Evry, Vincent Peillon in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, Sylvia Pinel to Castelsarrasin (Tarn-et-Garonne), François de Rugy at Nantes and Jean-Luc Bennahmias in Marseille.

because of the time difference, the electorate of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélémy, French Guiana, Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon and French Polynesia have voted as early as Saturday.

“I vote left, I left and it was normal that I come today, mainly that there are real candidates left this year,” rejoiced Jacky, aged 69, who came to vote at Grand-Gosier (Guadeloupe).