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France UMP rivals Fillon and Cope to hold face-to-face talks France UMP crisis: Ex-PM Juppe 'fails to resolve crisis'
(about 2 hours later)
The two rivals in the disputed leadership contest for France's conservative opposition UMP party are due to attend a face-to-face meeting. France's ex-PM Alain Juppe has said he had failed to resolve a leadership dispute within the conservative opposition UMP party.
He said "conditions for a mediation were not met" during talks between the party's two rival leaders.
Earlier, representatives of ex-PM Francois Fillon and party secretary general Jean-Francois Cope walked out of a meeting over ballot disputes.Earlier, representatives of ex-PM Francois Fillon and party secretary general Jean-Francois Cope walked out of a meeting over ballot disputes.
Both scored almost exactly 50% of the vote in the contest to replace ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy. Both scored almost exactly 50% of the vote in a recent leadership contest.
Each side is accusing the other of electoral fraud. Mr Cope was declared the winner, but Mr Fillon demanded a recount. Each side is accusing the other of electoral fraud.
Former prime minister and foreign minister Alain Juppe, who has been called in to help end the crisis, said he was pessimistic ahead of the talks. 'Mission over'
"I am doing everything I can to succeed even if there is very little chance," Mr Juppe told French media. "If they do not accept [my conditions], I will withdraw, it's no big deal, they will sort themselves out." Mr Juppe, who had been called in to help end the crisis, said in a statement after the talks that he considered "his mission is over".
The two men have agreed to meet for the first time since the crisis began with Mr Juppe as mediator. Ahead of the talks, he had said he was pessimistic over their outcome.
Mr Cope officially won the UMP election last Sunday, but Mr Fillon demanded a recount after it emerged 1,300 votes had not been counted. The two men had agreed to meet for the first time since the crisis began with Mr Juppe as mediator.
Last Sunday, Mr Cope officially won the UMP election to replace former President Nicolas Sarkozy, but Mr Fillon demanded a recount after it emerged 1,300 votes had not been counted.
Mr Fillon says votes from three overseas French territories, omitted from the original count, would hand him victory by 26 votes.Mr Fillon says votes from three overseas French territories, omitted from the original count, would hand him victory by 26 votes.
He lost Sunday's ballot of the party membership by just 98 votes.He lost Sunday's ballot of the party membership by just 98 votes.
Never could the French have conceived that these two men, who until very recently were side by side helping run the country, loathed each other with such venom, says the BBC's Hugh Schofield.Never could the French have conceived that these two men, who until very recently were side by side helping run the country, loathed each other with such venom, says the BBC's Hugh Schofield.
The two men represent two wings of the party - Fillon the centrist, Cope the right-winger - and that divide's aggravated by their very different personalities: Fillon the grave, Cope the brash, our correspondent adds.The two men represent two wings of the party - Fillon the centrist, Cope the right-winger - and that divide's aggravated by their very different personalities: Fillon the grave, Cope the brash, our correspondent adds.