PARIS MAYORAL SOCIALIST CANDIDATE BERTRAND DELANOE HUGS A WELL-WISHER AT CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS, 2001-03-11 (photo)

Bertrand Delanoe (C Left), Socialist party candidate in the Paris mayoral elections, hugs a well-wisher at campaign headquarters after early estimates in the first round of balloting, March 11, 2001. The French left took a giant step towards a historic triumph in Paris as exit polls gave Socialist candidate Bertrand Delanoe between 32 and 36 percent of the votes in the capital against 23 to 27 percent for the official candidate of Chirac's Gaullist RPR party, Philippe Seguin. Outgoing conservative mayor Jean Tiberi won between 11 and 14 percent of the ballot. CGW/JES/