(21 Nov 2016) Two of France's ex-prime ministers Francois Fillon and Alain Juppe will meet in a runoff next week for the conservative nomination for the president election
It comes after Former President Nicolas Sarkozy and his populist, hard-line stand on Muslims and immigration went down in defeat on Sunday.
The race was seen as an early measure of how the militant attacks in France over the past two years and the nationalist wave sweeping Europe and the US have shaped the country's political landscape.
With more than 3.8 million votes counted from about 92 percent of polling stations, Francois Fillon had 44.2 percent, Alain Juppe 28.4 percent and Sarkozy 20.7 percent.
72-year-old Juppe promoted a more peaceful vision of French society, based on respect for religious freedom and ethnic diversity.
The final results are not expected until Monday.
The top two vote-getters will compete in the Nov. 27 runoff.
The winner is expected to have a strong chance of victory in the April-May presidential election, because traditional rivals on the left have been weakened by Socialist Francois Hollande's troubled presidency.
The conservative candidate's main challenger next year may turn out to be far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who is hoping anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and anti-establishment sentiment can propel her to the presidency.


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