Voters go to polls in French local elections amid coronavirus restrictions

Paris, Mar 15 (efe-epa).- Some 70,000 polling stations opened on Sunday in France in the first round of municipal elections amid widespread restrictions to fight the growing spread of coronavirus in the country.

Almost 48 million voters have been called to elect mayors in 35,000 municipalities for the next six years in an unprecedented environment, with the country more concerned about the Covid-19 outbreak than the ballot box.

France has seen almost 4,500 confirmed infections and more than 90 deaths from the virus, which emerged in the Chinese province of Hubei in December and has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

A few hours after the government announced the closure of all non-essential public establishments in a bid to slow the spread of the outbreak, polling stations were ready to receive citizens.

The participation rate will be closely monitored to answer the question of whether fears over the contagion will result in a low turnout.

There have been growing calls for the authorities to delay the electoral appointment because of the exceptional circumstances.

President of Occitanie Carole Delga asked for a postponement after Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced the closure of bars, restaurants, cinemas and non-essential stores.

“In view of the latest statements by the prime minister and the growing concern of the population, I think that the most sensible thing would be to delay the municipal elections,” she said in French on Twitter.

The government debated an electoral delay on Thursday, shortly before the president Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation in a televised speech.

But leaders of the main parties strongly opposed a postponement and even went as far as to say that doing so would amount to an institutional coup d’etat.

Republican president Christian Jacob accused Macron of wanting to delay the vote to hide the setback the polls had predicted for his party in the municipal elections.

The executive said that the scientific committee had advised that the vote would not be a supplementary factor in the spread of the epidemic.

The impact would be similar to that found in a supermarket if certain exceptional measures were met, according to scientists.

Polling stations have been equipped with hand gel, a person dedicated to cleaning, signs on the floor to keep distance between voters and messages reminding citizens to avoid contact with each other.

They must also give priority to elderly or frail people and allow them to cast their votes without having to wait in queues.

France’s interior ministry will publish turnout figures at 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) when voting will close and the count will begin.

Polls have predicted a good result for environmentalists, stability for conservatives and socialists, a moderate rise in the extreme right and a bad result for Macron’s party.

If the predictions are fulfilled, Paris will be in socialist hands and Marseille in that of the conservatives with Macron’s party looking to win Lyon.

The far-right could win Perpignan, the largest city in its history, and environmentalists could secure a victory in Bordeaux. EFE-EPA

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