Paris swings left for first time in over 100 years
PARIS, March 18 (AFP) - The left took control of Paris for the first time in more than a century Sunday as Socialist Bertrand Delanoe won a narrow electoral victory against a divided and bitter right.
"Today Parisians have freely decided in favour of a change of power in the capital," Delanoe told an audience of cheering activists, celebrating the end of 24 years of right-wing rule in the city as a "victory for audacity and reason."
Delanoe's left-wing coalition took control of 12 of Paris' 20 districts, winning at least 89 seats on the 163-seat city council that will elect Paris' mayor on March 25.
News of the historic victory brought thousands of jubilant supporters of Delanoe's coalition of Socialists, Greens, Communists and left-wing radicals descending on the city hall that has become the symbol of the scandal-tainted Gaullist political machine in the city.
Swinging from lamp-posts and waving their house keys they jokingly demanded access to the Hotel de Ville, or city hall. "Give us the keys! Give us the keys!"
Delanoe explained his victory as a rejection of the atmosphere of corruption and secrecy that hangs over the Hotel de Ville, many of whose officials, including outgoing mayor Jean Tiberi, have been placed under judicial investigation.
"It is more than anything a demand for a renewal of the culture and practice of democracy," he said.
Tiberi was the annointed successor of Jacques Chirac, who was elected mayor in 1977 and used the national profile of the city as a springboard to win the presidency, but was sidelined by the president's RPR party because of the scandals.
The RPR banner was instead taken up by Philippe Seguin, a wellknown and popular former parliamentary speaker, but as the member for a constituency in the Vosges mountains a politician with no support base in Paris.
Tiberi, who was re-elected as mayor of his Left Bank stronghold of the 5th arrondissement, was quick to blame Seguin for the right's defeat.
"I wanted unity, to merge our lists. Our political leaders, Mr Seguin and the heads of lists refused. For me, that was a grave and a historic mistake," he said, accepting defeat.
For his part, Seguin blamed an "iniquitous" voting system for his defeat, claiming that the right won 50.3 percent of the total votes cast, ahead of the left's 48.5.
"There is no doubt that under a system of direct universal suffrage I would today have been elected mayor of Paris," he told reporters and activists.
Under Paris' voting system the mayor, who serves a six-year term, is not elected directly but by the Paris city council, a 163-strong committee made up of councillors from each of the city's 20 arrondissements, or districts.
These councillors are assigned to the city council proportionally, based on their support across the two rounds of the municipal election, and on the population of their arrondissement.
The victory of Delanoe was also a good sign for Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, a long time ally of the 50-year-old senator who was quick to join him Sunday and congratulate him on a result which will distract attention from bad Socialist results elsewhere in France.
"Parisians have understood his message. They said that things must change," said Jospin, who is expected to face Chirac in presidential polls next year.