Sarkozy under fire in media row

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French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of stifling free speech by refusing to take part in a three-way television debate.

Defeated centrist Francois Bayrou said Mr Sarkozy had halted the debate with socialist Segolene Royal by refusing to join in and then getting it cancelled.

Mr Sarkozy's team strongly denied the allegations, saying they were a "slanderous insinuation".

Mr Sarkozy and Ms Royal will hold their own TV debate on 2 May.

French broadcaster Canal Plus cited pre-election broadcasting rules for its decision to cancel the debate involving Mr Bayrou, who was eliminated from the presidential race in the first round of voting.

Mr Bayrou told RTL radio that he was certain that Mr Sarkozy had asked the TV channel to pull the plug on the programme.

"I say with certainty that we have before our eyes today the proof of this propensity or choice of Nicolas Sarkozy to control the news and debate, and this is harmful for France," Mr Bayrou said.

Mr Sarkozy had said he would not take part in the televised discussion as it was "a rather ridiculous tragi-comedy".

'Stalinist tactics'

Mr Sarkozy, who won 31% of the first-round vote, and Ms Royal, who took nearly 26%, face a neck-and-neck race to win the second round on 6 May.

Mr Bayrou, who came third in the first round, has declined to endorse either of the remaining candidates.

Many of the 6.8 million people who backed him still have to decide which way they will lean in the run-off.

Mr Sarkozy's campaign director said that Mr Bayrou's comments were "extremely dangerous".

"These are Stalinist tactics. To assert things without proof is extremely serious," Claude Gueant told Reuters news agency.