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Francoise de Panafieu, a former French tourism minister and close ally of Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, emerged Tuesday as the ruling UMP party's candidate for mayoral elections in Paris in two years' time.
Panafieu, 57, who is currently mayor of the capital's 17th arrondissement or district, was the clear front-runner among four candidates in a week-end ballot of UMP members in Paris.
On Tuesday her challenger in next week's planned run-off Claude Goasguen withdrew, leaving her as the only candidate.
The daughter of two former ministers, Panafieu was an unsuccessful candidate for the centre-right nomination for the last Paris municipal election in 2001, when the city hall was taken by the socialists under Bertrand Delanoe.
Analysts said her nomination was useful for Sarkozy, who is preparing a presidential bid next year.
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France-politics-Paris
AFP 281538 GMT 02 06
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