PARIS - The former prime minister, Mr Alain Juppe, swept from power by a left wing victory in last week's election, announced yesterday he would not seek reelection as leader of France's Gaullist RPR party.
Mr Juppe's decision, announced to leaders of the Rally for the Republic, clears the way for the former National Assembly speaker, Mr Philippe Seguin, to take over as president of the conservative party founded by President Jacques Chirac.