21 Sep 2010

Tahoeraa not swayed by Temaru offer to oust French Polynesia government

12:42 pm on 21 September 2010

The leadership of French Polynesia's Tahoeraa Huiraatira has declined the offer by the opposition's Oscar Temaru for a deal that would strengthen its role in government.

Mr Temaru was seeking the Tahoeraa's support for his initiative to push for the territory's reinscription on the UN decolonisation and in return would offer his side's backing to bring down the government of Gaston Tong Sang.

The Tahoeraa leader, Gaston Flosse, considers his party to be in opposition although the party has several ministers in Mr Tong Sang's government.

Mr Flosse's deputy within the party, Edouard Fritch, says the weekend meeting decided to leave things unchanged, which means that Mr Fritch will continue as vice-president.

The discussions come amid political instability which France wants to end by changing the electoral system next year while opposing calls for an election before 2013.