FLEURANCE, France - Former Prime Minister Laurent Fabius joined a growing field of Socialist presidential contenders Sunday, formally announcing his candidacy for the party's nomination for the French presidential elections.

    Fabius, who trails in polls behind Socialist forerunner Segolene Royal, said in southern France on Sunday that he would seek his party's nomination. He is the third Socialist to make his candidacy official.

    "I have decided, if the party militants so wish, to be the presidential candidate," he told some 200 supporters in the city of Fleurance. "I took this decision because France is in need of a change, a change which can come only from the left."

    "The task won't be easy," Fabius said, adding he was confident of his chances at winning the nomination during the party's November primary.

    Just 6 percent of respondents to a recent opinion poll said they would like to see Fabius win the Socialist nomination. According to the poll, published in Sunday's the Journal de Dimanche newspaper, leading hopeful Royal held on to her commanding lead over rivals, with 49 percent. The poll of 961 people was conducted by telephone Sept. 28 and 29 the Ifop agency. No margin of error was given.

   Fabius took a swipe at Royal, saying that polls do not always accurately reflect public opinion. Royal announced her candidacy on Friday, and another Socialist, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has also announced he will seek the nomination.