4 May 2007

New Caledonia's National Front backs Sarkozy of rival UMP

3:25 pm on 4 May 2007

The New Caledonian branch of the far-right National Front has decided to defy the directives from Paris ahead of this weekend's election of a new French President.

The party had advised its supporters not to vote for either Nicolas Sarkozy of the ruling UMP or the Socialist candidate, Segolene Royal.

But the Noumea-based branch leader, Guy George, says he is certain that the French National Front understands that in New Caledonia circumstances are not the same.

He says a vote for Mr Sarkozy is the only possible option to stop possible independence.

In the French Pacific territories, the pro-independence parties back Ms Royal.

The anti-independence parties are for Mr Sarkozy, who in New Caledonia scored his best results of all 85 French electorates.

The National Front has had little support in the overseas electorates although its leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, was the second most successful candidate in 2002 when he lost the run-off vote against Jacques Chirac.