9 Mar 2011

French Polynesia stability talks fail

4:45 pm on 9 March 2011

Political leaders in French Polynesia have shunned a call by the President, Gaston Tong Sang, for a meeting to discuss a political stability pact for the two years until the next general election.

Reports from Tahiti say none of the leaders has heeded the call to discuss Mr Tong Sang's plans at the presidential palace.

His government has the support of only nine of the assembly's 57 members but the opposition coalition hasn't challenged his position because it cannot agree on who should succeed him.

Political leaders as well as the French high commissioner are awaiting a court ruling due in Paris next week to determine whether the 2011 budget published by the President is valid or the budget approved by the assembly.

Paris has said it plans to change Tahiti's electoral system this year but observers say elections are not expected to be called in 2012 as that is the year of France's presidential elections.