11 Apr 2008

New French Polynesia government faces no confidence challenge

8:21 am on 11 April 2008

The new French Polynesian government led by Gaston Flosse is facing a no confidence motion.

The opposition leader, Gaston Tong Sang, says he lodged a motion at the assembly this morning in a bid to oust the government formed less than two months ago.

No further details are known but under the new organic law governing the territory, any such motion must list a proposed successor.

This comes just two days after the opposition's outer island assembly members formed a new group in part to entice outer island members of the ruling coalition to defect.

Mr Tong Sang is the leader of the To Tatou Aia coalition which is French Polynesia's biggest political party and the local partner of France's ruling UMP Party.

Mr Flosse came to the power in February after an early general election was called under a new system aimed at increasing political stability.