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Voting Underway In French Polynesia's Snap Poll
Real estate news By Pacific
Monday: January 28, 2008
Voting has started on Monday (Sunday Tahiti time, GMT-10) throughout French Polynesia, where some 175,000 voters have been called to renew their 57-seat local legislative assembly as part of snap elections that were called by the French government in order to "stabilize" the French Pacific territory's turbulent political life. Since the last general elections were held in May 2004, there have been five changes of Presidents and governments as a direct result of motions of no confidence and shifts in alliances between the major parties and the smaller political groups
Because of very slim majorities in the local House, the small parties and a handful of independent MPs were so far regarded as kingmakers. Since he was appointed State Secretary for Overseas territories after the election of French President Nicolas Sarkozy mid-2007, Christian Estrosi has vowed to put an end to French Polynesia's spate of instability.
During the last quarter of 2007, as part of a hands-on style, he got both chambers of the French Parliament (the Senate and the National Assembly) to enact a set of reforms for French Polynesia. These included snap elections and a change in the voting system, which is now in two rounds. This, he said, was to help French Polynesia bring out clearer majorities. However, a majority of MPs in French Polynesia's local assembly have consistently expressed doubts regarding Estrosi's move.
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