30 Dec 2010

Unsual power-sharing deal in New Caledonia local politics

2:34 pm on 30 December 2010

A suburb of New Caledonia's capital has chosen an opposition politician as a deputy mayor in what the local press says is a first in the territory.

According to Noumea's daily newspaper, the council in Paita has almost unanimously endorsed Gerard Yamamoto of the Rassemblement-UMP to take over the post.

But the mayor and leader of the Future Together Party, Harold Martin, has declined to attribute any political significance to the council choice.

He says Mr Yamamoto has been serving in the public interest and been involved in several commissions.