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GV INTERIOR French Communist Party meeting
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SCU President Georges Marchais speaking in French (End with crowd applauding)
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Initials CL/0115 CL/0130



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Workers and supporters of the Communist Party and election candidates for the Paris region of France gathered at the Palais des Sports in Paris on Monday (1 March) for a meeting to promote enthusiasm for this year's local government election campaign.

The leader of the French Communist Party, Monsieur Georges Marchais, chaired the meeting and also gave the main speech. He urged the workers to push for full participation in government and said that communists had been excluded in the past - but that the time for change was imminent.

He also said that the best way for workers to have this governmental responsibility was to unite behind the Communist Party - particularly in next Sunday's (8 March) local elections.

French socialists and communists are linked in an uneasy pact which nearly won their candidate the Presidency in 1974. Both parties expect to make gains against government-backed candidates in Sunday's elections - while the Government has gone onto the offensive against growing left-wing popularity.