2 Dec 2015

Noumea court confirms reinstatements

9:49 am on 2 December 2015
The President of the French overseas territory of New Caledonia, Philippe Germain, after being elected in April 2015.

The President of the French overseas territory of New Caledonia, Philippe Germain, after being elected in April 2015. Photo: AFP

A court in New Caledonia has confirmed that the president, Philippe Germain, had no basis in government regulations to sack the assistants of three of his ministers.

Mr Germain removed the support staff of three ministers shortly after his election in April but the three ministers argued that without the assistants, they could not do their jobs properly, which also went against the public interest.

The public broadcaster says the court has now confirmed its interim ruling made in May which oveturned Mr Germain's decision.

The row over the three ministers' staff is linked to ongoing deep rifts within the territory's anti-independence camp.

After the election in May last year, the anti-independence side formed a united front, but the power-sharing deal ended when Mr Germain's party pulled out in December and triggered the government's collapse.

In April, Mr Germain was chosen thanks to the support of pro-independence ministers within the collegial government, thereby defeating the other contender for the top job, Cynthia Ligeard, who had been the president for just over six months.

Mr Germain has described the three ministers, including Mrs Ligeard, as opposition members after they failed to endorse his candidacy.