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Coronavirus: in Morbihan, municipal candidates opt for the D system

2020-03-10T07:01:43.094Z


In Auray and in the neighboring municipalities of Morbihan affected by the coronavirus, the municipal candidates had to adapt to conti


In recent days, Father Gaëtan Lucas, parish priest of Auray (Morbihan) has been praying that "the coronavirus epidemic will be contained", that "people will keep this hope of living and find serenity" or that the Sunday ballot will be is doing the best in the world. Not sure that the priest deprived of masses in his church as a precaution is heard by the Almighty. Because in this Breton city of 13,600 souls and its neighbors who have become one of the “clusters” (center of infection) of France, the Covid-19 has more impact than elsewhere on the battle for municipal elections, like the organization of the first tower.

"The campaign is turned upside down, there is no longer any public meeting," explains Joseph Rochelle, outgoing mayor (without label) and candidate. If he was towing this Monday on the market, he stopped his door-to-door sessions. "During an epidemic, it's nonsense," he judges. Measures must be taken Sunday in the polling stations of his city to prevent the spread of the virus. He awaits official instructions. But already, he plans a mid-day disinfection of the offices by the municipal services. He could also invite the citizens to come with their own pen of a color to define for signing. As for hydroalcoholic solutions, it relies on prefectural deliveries. "Because we don't have any in stock," he warns.

Propaganda videos instead of meetings

In the current context, he fears "less participation" which would "have a net impact on results". He is thinking in particular of the frail elderly in retirement homes who do not wish to travel to the voting booth and cannot make a power of attorney. "Not everyone has a family there, some are very isolated," said the elected official. For his first deputy and ... rival this time in the polls, Jean-Michel Lassalle, invested by LREM, the coronavirus poses two questions from an electoral point of view.

"Who will not move? Who will benefit? », He wonders without having answers. In the final stretch of his campaign this week, he had to remove from his agenda three meetings in municipal halls. Instead, it posts propaganda videos. A few kilometers away, in Sainte-Anne-d'Auray, a village of 2,700 inhabitants where at least two of them were infected, Yvan Jounot, applying without a tag, drew a cross on his public meeting scheduled for Thursday evening In a restaurant.

Coronavirus Could "Brake Seniors"

“It is not a public building, so we could have maintained it. But out of fairness, in order not to fuel a controversy with the other list, we canceled it, ”he specifies. However, it continues its door-to-door operations. "But we do not shake hands, we say hello from a distance, that does not prevent respect," said this city councilor determined to "keep in touch" with the population.

On this Monday when schools in the town are closed due to the epidemic, its door-to-door service is "more productive" than usual. "There are more parents who are at home to look after the children, so more houses are opening," he says. The citizens he meets often tell him "see you on Sunday!" But he said the coronavirus could "hold back seniors" from filing a ballot.

At the town hall, we adapt to the news even if Monday morning again, its management had "zero guidelines for the reception procedures" of voters from state services. "We have taken the lead on hydroalcoholic gel in polling stations," explains Stéphanie Chapelain, director general of services, who drew on the reserves intended for school canteens and placed new orders with her provider.

Source: leparis

All news articles on 2020-03-10

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