A million votes for far left in French

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AFTER the first round the French presidential elections ast Sunday, it's still on the cards that Socialist Party candidate Francois Mitterand could win. vote and that ow The between his incumbent president Giscard D'Estaing is much nartower than between the left and right in the 1978 totes 10 be realistributed than cent of the on the second round next weekend.

victory for Mitterand would lead to the dissolution of the Assembly, and a new general election.

Collapse The most remarkable features were ine size of tue vorc for the extreme left and the collapse of the Communist Party's vote. million people voted for Laguiller of the Trotskyist Lutte Ourvriere, and for Hugette Bouchardeau of United Socialist Party (PSU). Arlette alone gainmore than 650,000 votes.

The collapse of the vote for the Communist candidate George Marchais - down to just over 15 per cent of the vote as against around 20 per cent Sounds by The ORGANISER Georges Marchais last time • amounts to rejection of the political line of the Communist Party by many workers.

Since the break-up of the Communist-Socialist "Union of the Left' in 1977, the Communist Party has been on a sectarian binge. At every level, especially in the unions, the Communist Party has attempted to divide the working class movement, refusing all united initiatives with the Socialists and other left wing forces.

CALLING ALL SOCIALISTS CALLING ALL SOCIALISIS Don't wait for the Tory' Bank Holiday. MAYDAY is Friday 1 May.

'SOCIALIST the Communists' calamity It's an open secret that Com munists would rather see Giscard back power than a Socialist win the presidential election.

• The tactic of division is being used by the CP to tr o defend its positior the most powerful workers' But this tactic has now boomeranged against them.

In the run-ud to the elections the Communisi Party particularly disgrac trying to pick up votes by an antiimmigration Call balzil. Marchais, words tion. where the union had sanctioned acThe conference began with the executive trying to suspend standing motion conecutive moved to the pressure. For instance, it was agreed to re-affiliate to the Women's TUC The executive did win the vote issues, but