UMP votes for Sarkozy successor
Eyes on turnout and fraud as members choose between François Fillon and Jean-François Copé to lead the opposition party
THE UMP opposition party votes this Sunday for a new leader to replace Nicolas Sarkozy.
They will choose between the former prime minister François Fillon and the party secretary Jean-François Copé.
Copé has made gains in recent weeks and a low turnout of core party members could bring him very close to Fillon, who enjoys wider support among the party.
The centre-right UMP is taking measures to make sure this weekend's leadership election does not degenerate into a repetition of the Socialist leadership election of 2008.
Then, the close result between Ségolène Royal and Martine Aubry revealed cases of fraud and caused the party to tear itself apart with each side making public accusations of vote rigging and slander.
STORY:Royal disputes Aubry victory
The UMP's independent election supervision commission has officers placed in each of its 600 voting stations. Some 250,000 party members are eligible to vote.
Particular attention is being given to the Alpes-Maritimes, a stronghold of UMP supporters where around 12,000 members are eligible to vote.
The department is also home to Fillon supporters Christian Estrosi (the mayor of Nice) and Eric Ciotti, the department president and Fillon's campaign organiser.
Fillon, Estrosi, Copé and Ciotti have agreed to the presence of huissiers (legal officials) for the vote.
Similar measures have been prepared for the Bouches-du-Rhône.
If necessary a second round of voting will take place a week later on November 25.
