25 Mar 2013

Wallis elects Polutele to French National Assembly

7:22 am on 25 March 2013

Voters in Wallis and Futuna have chosen an independent, Napoli Polutele, as their representative in the French National Assembly after last year's election was annulled.

In the run-off, the 48-year-old history teacher, who had the backing of the local UMP chapter, won just under 38 percent of the vote, beating the Socialist candidate Mikaele Kulimoetoke.

In third place is Lauriane Verge, who was the territory's first woman to stand.

She was a candidate trying to succeed her husband, whose win last year was nullified in a constitutional court ruling in January over irregularities in his campaign account.

David Verge was subsequently declared ineligible for a year.