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INFO OCT-01 ARA-06 ISO-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-04 H-02
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R 091532Z APR 76
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9680
INFO AMEMBASSY BONN
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
AMEMBASSY DUBLIN
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY LISBON
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG
AMEMBASSY MADRID
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY ROME
USMISSION EC BRUSSELS
USMISSION NATO
AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY SOFIA
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
AMEMBASSY BERLIN
USMISSION USBERLIN
AMCONSUL BORDEAUX
AMCONSUL LYON
AMCONSUL MARSEILLE
AMCONSUL NICE
AMCONSUL MARTINIQUE
AMCONSUL STRASBOURG
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E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: PINT, PGOV, FR
SUBJECT: SOCIALISTS DECIDE MUNICIPAL ELECTION STRATEGY
SUMMARY. IN FURTHER PROOF OF HIS CONTROL OVER THE
PARTY, FRANCOIS MITTERRAND HAS LED HIS SOCIALISTS (PS)
TO ADOPT A STRATEGY FOR THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS OF 1977
WHICH PROMISES SOMETHING FOR ALMOST EVERYONE. SUBSTANCE
OF PS DECISIONS, HOWEVER, DOES NOT GO BEYOND AN AGREE-
MENT TO PRESENT JOINT FIRST-ROUND CANDIDACIES WITH
COMMUNIST (PCF) AND LEFT RADICAL (MRG) ALLIES WHERE
THERE ARE NO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES TO PREVENT SUCH
ACTION (READ, WHERE THE PS HAS NO REASON NOT
TO AGREE). END SUMMARY.
1. THE STAKES: UNDER CURRENT VOTING PROCEDURES,
FRENCH MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS OF 1977 WILL TAKE PLACE UNDER
TWO DIFFERENT VOTING SYSTEMS. IN TOWNS UNDER 30,000
POPULATION, THE ELECTION LAW ALLOWS EACH PARTY TO PRESENT
ITS OWN CANDIDATES FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF ELECTIONS BUT
ALLOWS THE PARTIES TO MIX THEIR LISTS (PRESUMABLY IN
PROPORTION TO THE RESULTS) ON THE SECOND ROUND IN A
PROCESS CALLED "PANACHAGE". IN THE LARGER CITIES, THE
PROCESS OF PANACHAGE IS FORBIDDEN; ONLY THE PARTIES
WHOSE LISTS TAKE OVER 10 PERCENT OF THE VOTE IN THE
FIRST ROUND ARE ALLOWED TO STAY IN THE RUNNING FOR THE
SECOND (PRACTICALLY, OF COURSE, THE SECOND ROUND SEES
ALL BUT THE TOP TWO PARTIES WITHDRAW IN FAVOR OF THEIR
COALITION ALLIES). THE THEORY BEHIND THIS RULE IS THAT
CITY COUNCILS WITH ALL-PARTY PARTICIPATION AND OFTEN NO
MAJORITY WOULD BE UNGOVERNABLE.
2. THE SOCIALIST POSITION: UNDER THE TERMS AGREED AT
THE PS CONGRESS AT PAU IN JANUARY 1975, FIRST ROUND
JOINT CANDIDACIES -- ALSO CALLED SINGLE-LIST CANDIDA-
CIES -- WITH THE COMMUNISTS WERE NOT RULED OUT IN THE
BIG CITIES (ALTHOUGH THE PS NOTED THAT SPECIAL LOCAL
CIRCUMSTANCES COULD PREVENT SUCH COMMON CANDIDACIES
FROM BEING ATTEMPTED). AS CONFIRMED BY RECENT PS DECI-
SIONS, IN THE SMALL TOWNS, TRADITIONAL BASTIONS OF PS
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STRENGTH, EACH PARTY WILL PRESENT ITS OWN LIST WITH
"PANACHAGE" BEING THE ORDER OF THE DAY FOR THE SECOND
ROUND. IN THESE SMALLER TOWNS, THE PS HAS ALSO SAID THAT
AS CONCERNS ITS OWN LISTS, IT WILL ACCEPT THE SUPPORT
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ACTION EUR-12
INFO OCT-01 ARA-06 ISO-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-04 H-02
INR-07 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC-05 PA-01 PRS-01 SP-02 SS-15
USIA-06 OMB-01 SAM-01 /067 W
--------------------- 130405
R 091532Z APR 76
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9681
INFO AMEMBASSY BONN
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
AMEMBASSY DUBLIN
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY LISBON
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG
AMEMBASSY MADRID
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY ROME
USMISSION EC BRUSSELS
USMISSION NATO
AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY SOFIA
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
AMEMBASSY BERLIN
USMISSION USBERLIN
AMCONSUL BORDEAUX
AMCONSUL LYON
AMCONSUL MARSEILLE
AMCONSUL NICE
AMCONSUL MARTINIQUE
AMCONSUL STRASBOURG
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AND CO-CANDIDACIES OF "ALL PERSONS RECOGNIZING THEMSEL-
VES IN THE COMMON PROGRAM."
3. THE COMMUNISTS REACT: FOR THE PAST YEAR THE PCF HAS
BEEN DEMANDING THAT THE PS AGREE TO A NATIONAL PROGRAM
OF SINGLE LISTS. THE PCF POSITION HAS FOUND AN ECHO IN
THE PS' LEFT WING (CERES) WHICH HAS BEEN TRYING TO PUSH
THE PARTY TOWARDS COMMON FIRST-ROUND CANDIDACIES SINCE
WELL BEFORE PAU. A FEW WEEKS AGO PCF SECRETARY-GENERAL
GEORGES MARCHAIS OUTLINED STILL ANOTHER SET OF PROPO-
SALS FOR SINGLE LISTS, CALLING THEM "THE EARNEST MONEY
OF THE COMMON PROGRAM."
4. COMMENT: MITTERRAND HAS NOT BEEN MADE TO MOVE ONE
IOTA FROM THE POSITION HE TOOK AT PAU. THE ONLY UNEXPEC-
TED RESULT OF THIS WEEK'S MEETINGS HAS BEEN THE PS DECI-
SION TO HAVE ITS STRATEGY CONFIRMED BY AN EXTRAORDINARY
CONGRESS TO BE HELD MAY 15-16. CERES, WHICH HAD BEEN
PUSHING HARD (AND HAD EVEN GONE SO FAR AS TO CALL ITS
OWN MINI-CONGRESS FOR REIMS ON APRIL 10), FOUND ITSELF
FORBIDDEN BY THE PARTY'S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO HOLD A
MEETING OF A "FACTION WITHIN THE PARTY" AND HAS HAD TO
CONTENT ITSELF WITH MITTERRAND'S DECLARATION THAT GREA-
TER CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO LOCAL FACTORS THAN
HAS HITHERTO BEEN THE CASE. IN THE MAIN, MOST OBSERVERS
HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE WHOLE PERIOD OF STRATEGY-SETTING
HAS BEEN ANOTHER PROOF -- IF ONE WAS NEEDED -- THAT
MITTERRAND AND HIS STRATEGISTS ARE ABLE TO SET THEIR OWN
COURSE REGARDLESS OF THE PRESSURES OF THE PCF AND THE
CERES. THE PS DECISIONS ALSO REFLECT THE SOCIALISTS'
CONVICTION THAT THEY ARE AHEAD AND SHOULD GIVE THE PCF
NO OPPORTUNITY TO HIDE BEHIND MORE POPULAR PS CANDIDA-
TES.
RUSH
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