New Tahiti leader wants referendum on self-determination

Transcript

French Polynesia's new president wants a referendum on self-determination as soon as possible.

Gaston Flosse has decried last week's UN decision to re-inscribe the territory on the UN decolonisation list.

Following his election victory, he says he wants a vote to eliminate the issue from the political agenda once and for all.

But, as Walter Zweifel reports, there are calls not to rush the process:

The Union For Democracy of Oscar Temaru, who successfully lobbied the UN, says the rival pro-autonomy camp is now in a panic. Barely elected, Gaston Flosse has met the French High Commissioner to convey his wish for Paris to organise an immediate referendum, assuming that the election result will be repeated and bury any claim for future independence. He has told local television that 80% would back his stance.

GASTON FLOSSE: Je suis certain que a 80 pourcent les polynesiens voteront contre l'independence.

Richard Tuheiava, the French senator campaigning for the re-inscription, sees a parallel with New Caledonia, which was re-inscribed at the UN in 1986.

RICHARD TUHEIAVA: It reminds me very clearly of the situation with New Caledonia in 1987, when Jacques Lafleur  tried to rush a referendum of self-determination right after the re-inscription at the United Nations level. We all know what happened right after that.

What followed was unrest, violence as the referendum to quell the Kanak aspirations saw more than 98 percent of voters choose to remain with France. The crushing victory was in part due to pro-independence Kanaks boycotting the plebiscite. In French Polynesia, Oscar Temaru envisages a dialogue with France similar to the frame work now in place for New Caledonia. France changed the constitution six years ago to restrict voting rights there to those who have lived in the territory since before 1998. Mr Temaru has told local television he would want to go further.  

OSCAR TEMARU (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I would say that all those who arrived since the start of the nuclear tests in 1966 don't have the right to take part in such a vote.

This, in turn, has prompted Mr Flosse to say there is no question to restrict any voter's current rights.

GASTON FLOSSE: Nous sommes francais, tous les francais jouissent de ce privilege.

But Mr Temaru feels the movement of people in and out of Tahiti dilutes the rights of the indigenous people.

OSCAR TEMARU (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): There are thousands of people who are here for some time. Let's take the High Commissioner. Who did he vote for? Certainly not us. 

Richard Tuheiava says the rush by Mr Flosse is dividing the Maohi people.

RICHARD TUHEIAVA: Actually, he's dividing the Maohi people and Maohi community into two parts in order to create and generate some aggression from the members and the voters of Oscar Temaru's party, UPLD.

No date has been suggested for any possible referendum, but once Mr Flosse has lodged a formal request, the French High Commissioner will forward it to the French President, Francois Hollande. If Mr Flosse will be able to vote himself is uncertain. Being the politician with the most corruption conviction in the French Republic, he risks losing his civic rights before the end of the year, should his appeal be in the highest court be unsuccessful.