28 Oct 2011

Paris voids Tong Sang's tweaking of Tahiti budget

3:20 pm on 28 October 2011

France's highest court has advised that the French Polynesian 2011 budget published in the official journal in February was void.

The then president, Gaston Tong Sang, published his version of the budget after refusing to accept the budget amended and approved by the assembly.

The action prompted the assembly president, Oscar Temaru, to ask the French high commissioner, Richard Didier, to assume the function of the president in a bid to end the crisis over the budget.

However, Mr Didier declined and asked for a court ruling on which budget was valid.

According to Tahiti media, a recommendation has now been made in Paris which, as a rule, will become the final decision.

It says Mr Tong Sang's modifications rendered his budget nonexistent.