16 Jun 2007

Voters in French Pacific territories electing representatives to French parliament

8:51 am on 16 June 2007

Voters in the French Pacific territories will go to the polls this weekend to elect their members for a new 577-strong French assembly.

In New Caledonia two seats are at stake, pitting two UMP-backed Rassemblement-UMP candidates against two politicians of the pro-independence, FLNKS movement.

They are Gael Yanno and Pierre Frogier for the Rassemblement and Charles Pidjot and Charles Washetine of the FLNKS.

In Wallis and Futuna, the candidates of the UMP and the Socialist Party, including the incumbent Victor Brial, are through to the run-off poll.

Voters in French Polynesia will choose between two candidates of the ruling Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party and two of the Union For Democracy.

The UMP-backed politicians of the Tahoeraa are Michel Buillard and Bruno Sandras.

Their rivals are Oscar Temaru and Pierre Frebault.