The two top leaders of French Polynesia's ruling Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party have held their first meeting in five months in a bid to heal an unprecedented rift in its ranks.
Edouard Fritch and Gaston Flosse in 2013 Photo: RNZI Walter Zweifel
The president, Edouard Fritch, met his predecessor and party leader, Gaston Flosse, at the territorial assembly for several hours, without them making any public comment about the encounter.
Flosse, who has been forced from office because of a corruption conviction, has remained the party leader and is pursuing policies going against the government led by Mr Fritch.
Flosse won opposition support to get the assembly to pass a motion demanding that France pay compensation for the environmental damage caused by its nuclear weapons tests.
Mr Fritch, whose supporters boycotted the vote, has failed to get an allowance boost given to his ministers, which prompted him to say he needed his remuneration because he didn't live off corruption.
