Flosse leaves for Paris summit, Temaru decides to participate


Tahitipresse :French Polynesia President Gaston Flosse left Tahiti for Paris Saturday morning to attend Tuesday’s political summit organized by the French government, while former President Oscar Temaru announced he also would join the discussions.

“I decided to fight for my country,” Flosse said prior to boarding his Papeete-Paris flight. He led a delegation that included several of his government ministers and Temauri Foster, Flosse’s coalition pro-autonomy partner in the French Polynesia Assembly.
Temaru, entertaining thoughts of not accepting an invitation from French Overseas Minister Brigitte Girardin to discuss Tahiti’s political crisis, finally announced he also would leave for Paris. Girardin invited a total of six political party leaders and three political group leaders from Tahiti’s parliament to attend Tuesday’s summit.
Temaru also announced that in order for him to leave Tahiti “with a clear mind”, he was asking his supporters to halt all blockades and occupations of government offices on four islands. He said he was asking that because “during my absence I don’t want something to happen in this country.” According to Temaru, any outburst would play into the hands of his political opponents.
Thus, Temaru, the pro-independence party leader, plans to leave Sunday on the same plane as two of his former majority coalition partners, Nicole Bouteau and Philip Schyle, both leaders of pro-autonomy parties.
Before leaving Saturday, Flosse said he would only participate in Tuesday’s summit if all of the some nine government offices were operating back to normal. “If all the government services and public offices are freed before 3 pm Tuesday Paris time, well, of course, we will participate in the joint meeting.
“I have a very clear mind and I decided to fight for my country,” Flosse said, adding that he planned to explain to Ms. Girardin his “point of view” on what French Polynesia should become.
“The State Council decided, because of cheatings, to repeat the Windward Islands elections,” Flosse said. “ I don’t see why we should repeat the elections in the (other) archipelagos. Because Oscar Temaru is upset, because he lost power?”
Flosse was referring to the Nov. 15 decision by the French State Council, France’s highest administrative court, whose decisions cannot be appealed. In examining Flosse’s petition concerning the results of the May 23 parliamentary elections held throughout French Polynesia, the court found voting irregularities in the Windward Islands—Tahiti and Moorea, which account for 37 of the parliament’s 57 seats. The court nullified the Windward Islands results, which had given Temaru a 291-vote advantage over Flosse.
This has set the stage for new Windward Islands elections within the next three months. But Temaru, who still occupies the French Polynesia presidency, is calling for compete new elections in all of the archipelagos.
Flosse said Saturday that his party favors using the same voting system as that of May 23, which involved a “majority bonus” for the first time. “There cannot be in the same parliament a certain number of representatives elected according to one voting system and others elected under another system,” he said.
Meanwhile, Temaru said he also would be at the Paris roundtable at 3 pm Tuesday “to obtain what the voters of our country are asking, that we give them the right to speak. To do that, one must go to Paris. There’s no other way. If we want to obtain dissolution, that’s where we have to go.”

Temaru and 4 coalition leaders leave for Paris and “last chance meeting”

(Tahitipresse) - Former French Polynesia President Oscar Temaru and four of his coalition leaders left Tahiti for Paris Saturday night and what was described as a “last chance meeting” on Tuesday to resolve Tahiti’s political crisis.

Temaru and individual party leaders Nicole Bouteau, Philip Schyle, Jacky Bryant and Emile Vernaudon left Tahiti under emotionally moving circumstances. Temaru was moved by the many supporters who turned out at the Tahiti-Faa’a International Airport to wish him well. “I didn’t expect to see everyone at the airport,” Temaru said. “It’s late. That warms the heart. We leave full of hope.”
Such was the “calm and positive” setting as the Temaru coalition delegation left Tahiti with only one objective—“obtain dissolution” of Tahiti’s parliament so that new general elections can be held.
French Polynesia President Gaston Flosse led his delegation to Paris on a flight that left Saturday morning. Altogether there are nine political party and political group leaders who accepted an invitation from French Overseas Minister Brigitte Girardin to attend Tuesday’s Tahiti political summit in the French capital.
While Temaru’s delegation seeks dissolution of the 57-seat French Polynesia Assembly and new elections to replace those of May 23, Flosse’s delegation seeks new elections only in the Windward Islands for the archipelago’s 37 seats. Flosse’s position stems from the Nov. 15 ruling by the French State Council nullifying the May 23 election Windward Island results due to voting irregularities. Flosse lost the Windward Islands by 291 votes.
A second State Council decision last week ruled that Flosse was Tahiti’s legitimate government president as a result of his election on Oct. 22. That election followed an Oct. 9 successfully passed censure motion that toppled the four-month-old government of Temaru and his majority coalition.
Before boarding the flight to Paris, Temaru delegation member Philip Schyle said, “I have the strong impression that this is probably the last chance meeting. If we don’t obtain dissolution, I would say that, at the limit, it’s almost useless to talk about other things.” Schyle, leader of the pro-autonomy Fetia Api party, added that without dissolution, the situation “will not be easy”.
Nicole Bouteau, lead of the No Oe E Te Nunaa pro-autonomy party in the Temaru delegation, said, “At first, we are going to listen to the overseas minister. I imagine that she has some proposals to make and we’re going to discuss them step by step, without rushing into them. It’s time for the (French) State to make the essential decision.”
She said she had made no appointments in Paris other than the one with Overseas Minister Girardin, but expects to meet with various French national political parties on the right and left in order to revive support for the Temaru delegation’s cause.
Jacky Bryant, leader of Tahiti’s Green party, described Tuesday’s Paris summit as “certainly one of the most important moments for our territory”.

Before boarding the flight to Paris, Temaru delegation member Philip Schyle said, “I have the strong impression that this is probably the last chance meeting. If we don’t obtain dissolution, I would say that, at the limit, it’s almost useless to talk about other things.” Schyle, leader of the pro-autonomy Fetia Api party, added that without dissolution, the situation “will not be easy”.

Meanwhile, Temaru said he also would be at the Paris roundtable at 3 pm Tuesday “to obtain what the voters of our country are asking, that we give them the right to speak. To do that, one must go to Paris. There’s no other way. If we want to obtain dissolution, that’s where we have to go.”

democracy does not work in the french empire