The "no" vote won 51.06% during this consultation open to some 1,500 French clubs after the withdrawal of Laporte, who appealed his recent conviction for corruption.
The steering committee of the governing body of French rugby will meet Friday in Marcoussis, near Paris, in the presence of the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, "to decide on the follow-up to be given", indicated the FFR.
Former scrum half, computer scientist in civilian life, Buisson is in charge of amateur rugby at the Federation.
His candidacy was narrowly rejected by the clubs during this referendum, whose participation rate was high (90.46%).
President of the FFR since December 2016, Bernard Laporte was given a two-year suspended prison sentence on December 13 for having entered into a "corruption pact" with the businessman and president of the Montpellier club Mohed Altrad.
Having appealed the decision, his sentence, together with the ban on exercising his activity as president of the FFR, is not immediately enforceable.
The former coach of the Blues refuses as such to resign but agreed, under the joint pressure of the Minister of Sports, the National Rugby League (LNR) and the ethics committee of the FFR, to withdraw behind a delegate president until the appeal trial, which should only take place after the Mondial-2023 (September 8-October 28).
© 2023 AFP