15 Sep 2010

French Polynesia's Tong confident after Paris talks

3:22 pm on 15 September 2010

French Polynesia's president, Gaston Tong Sang, says France continues to believe that French Polynesia has a future and that the territory won't be wiped out by the economic crisis.

Mr Tong Sang made the comment to Tahitipresse on his return from Paris where he had been meeting French officials to discuss electoral reforms but where he failed to secure funding to seal the 2010 investment budget.

He says in the absence of a disbursement of French development funds, his administration is to seek loans on capital markets.

Mr Tong Sang declined to say whether Paris had lost confidence in Tahiti's political class, saying not everything that is being told in Paris necessarily reflects reality.

His government struggles to maintain a majority in the assembly, with many politicians calling for an election before his term ends in 2013.