Many French voters who eagerly cast their ballots in last month's hotly-contested presidential election have apparently decided to ignore Sunday's first round of general elections, REPORTED DPA. By 5pm (1500 GMT), three hours before the last polls were to close, 49.3 per cent of France's 44.5 million registered voters had gone to their local polling stations, according to figures provided by Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie. On May 6, for the second round of the presidential election, the figure had been 75.1 per cent. Eventually, nearly 85 per cent of France's registered voters took part in that election, which was won by Nicolas Sarkozy. According to polls, Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) is favoured to win an overwhelming majority, likely winding up with between 370 and 440 of the 577 seats in the lower house of the French Parliament, the National Assembly, after the election's second round, to be held on June 17. The opposition Socialists were seen to pick up only 115 to 155 seats, while no other party appeared to be in a position to gain more than 10 seats. A total of 7,639 candidates - more than 40 per cent of them women - from about 80 parties and political groups are running for seats in the National Assembly. Candidates who receive more than 50 per cent of the vote on Sunday will not need to face a run-off next week. Otherwise, the top two or three finishers, depending on the results, will face off on June 17. First estimates will be available after the last polling stations close at 8pm (1800 GMT).
