18 Oct 2005

Niue won't ask French Polynesia for promised homes after cyclone

6:02 pm on 18 October 2005

Niue's Premier says he won't be asking French Polynesia to give the island the full number of houses it promised after Cyclone Heta destroyed many homes last year.

French Polynesia's former president Gaston Flosse promised to build 40 homes on Niue.

Twenty homes were built, but work to provide an additional 20 was suspended after Gaston Flosse lost the presidency.

The French Polynesian president, Oscar Temaru, flies in to meet the Niuean premier, Young Vivian, on Wednesday, ahead of Constitution Day on Thursday.

Niue's Premier Young Vivian was asked whether he would raise the issue.

"No it's not on my agenda but I will show him around to the houses that the French Polynesian people from Tahiti Nui have built for us. We are indeed very pleased with the assistance and it was timely that they did it at that particular, and with the speed with which they built houses."