22 Jun 2011

French Polynesia senator raises decolonisation issue

1:37 pm on 22 June 2011

A French Polynesian member of the French Senate, Richard Tuheiava, has used the process of asking written questions to attract the attention of the French prime minister to French Polynesia's decolonisation bid.

The territory's assembly is expected to vote next week on a resolution seeking French Polynesia's re-inscription on the UN decolonisation list, and Mr Tuheiava points to a majority in Tahiti supporting such a move although a vote is still a week away.

In the question to Francois Fillon, Mr Tuheiava says in view of the political instability and economic problems, there is no point in trying to draw up a new development model without involving a body like the United Nations.

Meanwhile one of French Polynesia's members of the French Assembly, Bruno Sandras, says the territory's destiny will be built in French Polynesia and not before the UN.

Mr Sandras says for seven years the population has been watching a bad play at the assembly and he urges the territory's government to focus on the needs of the country rather than on an ideology.