9 Jul 2008

French Polynesian eligibility challenge lingers in Paris court

9:02 pm on 9 July 2008

The opposition in French Polynesia is surprised that the French supreme court has so far failed to rule on the eligibility of two assembly members accused of making false declarations of assets and interests.

A complaint was lodged in May and the court was expected to comply with its own rules and issue a ruling without delay.

The complaint follows the discovery by a citizen Yves Conroy who noticed that the officially recorded declarations of assets and activities of Justine Teura and Michel Yip didn't match what he he happened to know about them.

The opposition's Tea Hirshon says in addition a minister, who is not an assembly member, has questions to answer.

"It's weird that they haven't ruled on it yet. We are sure if it were for us it would have ben done a long time ago, It's definite that Tong Sang is the candidate that is backed by France."

The two assembly members defected to the Tong Sang camp in April to bring down the government formed seven weeks earlier.