(Left) Aubry and Royal

Paris, Nov. 22 (Reuters): France’s Socialists were in disarray today after Martine Aubry, architect of the 35-hour work week, won a bitter leadership battle by a wafer-thin majority that split the party in two.

Her arch rival Segolene Royal, who lost last year’s French presidential election, refused to accept the result and demanded a re-run, but Aubry’s camp shot down the request.

Senior Leftist figures urged restraint, fearing the ballot could tear apart France’s main Opposition party, while President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ruling rightist group revelled in the result.

Aubry won yesterday’s vote by just 50.02 per cent against 49.98 per cent for Royal.

This translated into a 42-vote advantage out of 134,784 valid ballots cast in the internal poll of party membership. Royal’s supporters talked openly of electoral fraud and said a new vote had to be held next week.

“At this time of speaking no one can claim victory. There was fraud, there was cheating, there is deep doubt about last night’s result,” said parliamentarian Manuel Valls. “There is only one way that we can overcome this situation and that is to stage another vote,” he told TF1 television. “I call for a rebellion by the militants.”