PEOPLE VOTING; M. POHER VOTING IN HIS HOME TOWN OF ABLON SUR SEINE: M. POMPIDOU VOTING AT ORVILLIERS; DUCLOS VOTING AT MONTREUIL: DEFERRE VOTING: VOTES BEING SORTED.




Initials KM/VS/BOB/BB



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Background: GAULLIST GEORGES POMPIDOU AND CENTRIST ALAIN POHER TODAY (1 JUNE) MOVED FORWARD INTO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. M. POMPIDOU WON A COMMANDING LEAD WITH 44 PER CENT OF THE VOTES COMPARED TO M. POHER'S 24 PER CENT. BUT THE COMMUNIST CANDIDATE JACQUES DUCLOS POLLED A SURPRISING 21 PER CENT OF THE VOTE, TWO PER CENT MORE THAN THE MOST OPTIMISTIC OPINION POLLS HAD GIVEN HIM.

M. POMPIDOU CALLED ON M. POHER, THE INTERIM HEAD OF STATE, TO STEP DOWN ON THE SECOND ROUND -- LEAVING HIM WITH COMMUNIST JACQUES DUCLOS AS HIS OPPONENT IN THE RUN-OFF BALLOT ON JUNE 15.

BUT M. POHER TOLD A NEWS CONFERENCE LATER THAT HE WOULD CARRY OUT WHAT HE CALLED THE MISSION THE VOTERS GAVE HIM TO FIGHT THE SECOND ROUND.

M. DUCLOS' 21 PER CENT OF THE VOTE MEANS THAT THE COMMUNISTS WILL BE THE KINGMAKERS IF M. POHER IS TO DEFEAT M. POMPIDOU IN THE NEXT ROUND. IT ALSO CONFIRMS THE COMMUNIST CLAIMS TO LEADERSHIP OF THE FRENCH LEFT IN ANY FUTURE ATTEMPTS TO RE-CREATE SOME SEMBLANCE OF A UNITED OPPOSITION LEFT WING.

BUT M. DUCLOS, THE 72-YEAR OLD LEADER OF THE COMMUNISTS, DECLINED TO SAY HOW HIS FOLLOWERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO VOTE IN THE RUN-OFF.

BOTH M. POMPIDOU AND M. POHER WON EASY VICTORIES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE HOME TOWNS OF MONTBOUDIF AND ABLON-SUR-SEINE. THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER TOOK 258 OF THE 276 VOTES CAST IN HIS CENTRAL FRANCE HOMETOWN. IN COMPARISON, MR. POHER'S WIN IN SUBURBAN ABLON WAS LESS CONVINCING. HE BEAT M. POMPIDOU BY 1,372 TO 943 WITH 432 VOTES GOING TO M. DUCLOS.