21 Feb 2005

Call for French Polynesia's autonomy statute to be amended

8:26 am on 21 February 2005

There has been a call in French Polynesia to change the autonomy statute which is seen as a source of the political instability of the past year.

The Alliance for a New Democracy, or ADN, has asked the French president, Jacques Chirac, to convene roundtable discussions as soon as possible.

Walter Zweifel reports....

"Nicole Bouteau says the electoral system that gives the winning party a third of all seats as a bonus needs to be changed. And Ms Bouteau says all main parties should join talks with the French state to re-assess the situation. The current statute was rubberstamped by the assembly two years ago when Mr Flosse commanded a solid majority. The voices who opposed the move now want the statute to be revisited."