27 May 2002

Still no sign of missing aircraft

12:42 pm on 27 May 2002

All political meetings in French Polynesia have been cancelled while the search continues for a light plane carrying several prominent French Polynesian politicians which disappeared on a flight from Kaukura to Makemo in the Tuamoto archipelago north-east of Tahiti.

Three of the passengers in the plane were MPs in the Assembly of French Polynesia.

French Polynesia is to elect two representatives to the French national assembly in voting scheduled for June 1st and 15th.

France's State Council in Paris is expected to rule later this week on whether the elections should be postponed given that two of the missing passengers are candidates in the election.