French Campaign Ends

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30937, 18 December 1965, Page 15

French Campaign Ends

(N.Z.P.A.-K«uter —Copyright? PARIS, Dec. 17. President de Gaulle and his Left-wing opponent Mr Francois Mitterrand today wind up France’s Presidential election campaign with their final televised appeals to the nation. The official campaign for Sunday's decisive second round of voting ends at midnight tonight. The 28 million voters will then have a Saturday free of political appeals before going to the polls to decide between the 75-year-oid President and his 49-year-old opponent. The final days of the campaign have been marked by an apparent awing in favour of General de Gaulle, who failed to gain the necessary over-all majority to win in the first round of voting on December 5.

Public opinion polls have shown that the President has the support of about 55 per cent of those who have made up their minds. A series of television interviews this week in which General de Gaulle was informal, relaxed and occasionally humorous is also expected to help his chances. In the December 5 poll, facing five opponents, General de Gaulle took 44.6 per cent of votes, with 31.7 per cent going to Mr Mitterrand. With the other four candidates excluded from the runoff poll, one of the focal points of the campaign has been the battle for the support of the 3,777,000 people who voted for Mr Jean Lecanuet in the first round. Mr Lecanuet, who came third on December 5, yesterday recommended his supporters not to vote for General de Gaulle in any circumstances. Mr Mitterrand is ending his campaign on a high-speed

note by flying to final rallies in a specially-hired jet aircraft