France votes to choose new president

PARIS – Voters in France cast ballots on Sunday in the first round of the 2012 French president election amid voters'economic despair as the country is struggling with a weak economic growth and high unemployment rate.

Voters queue to cast their ballot at a polling station in the first round of the 2012 French presidential election in Paris, April 22, 2012. France goes to the polls on Sunday in the first round of its presidential election. [Photo/Wang Dong]

The incumbent French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his Socialist rival Francois Hollande are expected to beat the other eight candidates and go through the final runoff to be held on May 6.

Public opinion surveys have indicated that Hollande is favored to win the run-off, beating Sarkozy 57 percent to 43 percent during the second-round vote.

"Hollande is likely to win the election as people have been tired of Sarkozy as president and they want change," said Clement Verhille, a voter in Paris told China Daily. “He promised a lot five years ago but he failed to do enough.”

Around 44.5 million registered voters are expected to cast their ballots for one of the 10 candidates. The last polling stations are scheduled to close at 8pm local time.

Some voters are disappointed by both Sarkozy and Hollande as they are unable to offer satisfying solutions for the economic problems and high unemployment rate.

"I'm not convinced by both candidates as they don’t have effective programs that could address the real issues that is facing France," a female voter who asked to be anonymous told China Daily.

France is struggling with a low economic growth and unemployment rate as high as 10 percent. Rating agency Standard & Poor's cut the country’s triple-A credit rating in January.

Experts said that although Hollande would appeal the voters by his promise to reform France's public sectors such as health and education, Sarkozy is viewed favorably on international issues such as the euro zone debt problems and the crisis in Syria.