The battle to succeed former president Nicolas Sarkozy at the helm of France’s main opposition party, the UMP, remained undecided after both candidates claimed victory amid allegations of ballot rigging. After a long night of waiting in both camps, the two claimed victory early on Monday, with Francois Fillon announcing a 224 votes’ lead on his opponent, while Jean-Francois Cope claimed a 1000 votes’ lead. The confusion followed several hours during which both camps claimed there had been irregularities in the voting process. Moderate ex-prime minister Fillon, who regularly tops political popularity polls, was tipped to narrowly beat Cope, a disciple of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy and his hard stance on issues including immigration. “The toll is clear, I have been elected by the majority of the UMP militants,” Cope said late on Sunday night.