11 Dec 2009

Petition seeks dissolution of French Polynesia's assembly

1:55 pm on 11 December 2009

A collective of French Polynesian citizens has launched a petition to push for a dissolution of the assembly which was elected last year for a five-year term.

The group plans to collect signatures for a month and then submit them to the French President Nicolas Sarkozy who has the authority to call fresh elections.

The group says the territory is in a dire economic, social and financial situation, warning that salaries are at risk of no longer being paid while nearly half the population is slipping into poverty.

It says since 2004 there have been nine governments that lasted on average six months, blaming a system of corruption and personal power for destroying the territory and the assembly members.

The group says all political alliances have been tried, including the most improbable ones, with all ending in failure.