12 Apr 2010

French Polynesia awaits Paris decision on assembly future

6:35 am on 12 April 2010

French Polynesians are now waiting to hear from Paris whether the assembly will be dissolved after it elected the opposition's Oscar Temaru as the assembly president.

The President Gaston Tong Sang asked France to call fresh elections, saying it is no longer possible to run the territory's government under the current circumstances.

Walter Zweifel reports.

"The ruling coalition's attempt to pass the assembly presidency from Philip Schyle to Gaston Flosse failed when most of its members refused to honour their coalition deal to back Mr Flosse. This cleared the way for two opposition politicians, Oscar Temaru and Jean-Christophe Bouissou, to contest the position and ended the coalition formed in November. With all combinations now tried, Mr Tong Sang says there has to a fresh election, with a decision by Paris expected within three months. The last early election was held two years ago under a new electoral system imposed by France but the government that emerged after that poll lasted only one month into its five-year term."