17 Apr 2012

Sarkozy again scotches Tahiti decolonisation bid

5:08 pm on 17 April 2012

Nicolas Sarkozy, who seeks re-election as French president, says French Polynesia's decolonisation is no urgent matter.

In an interview with the Nouvelles de Tahiti, Mr Sarkozy says French Polynesians don't ask political leaders to turn to the UN, Australia or anyone else to solve their problems.

Referring to calls by the French Polynesian president Oscar Temaru to reinscribe the territory on the UN decolonisation list, Mr Sarkozy says his pronouncements achieve no more than creating sterile opposition.

He also says he doesn't know why pro-independence politicians have chosen such an approach to France.

Mr Sarkozy says he has no plans to change the indexing of wages paid by France, which doubles public sector pays in French Polynesia.

He says calls for the introduction of an income tax in Tahiti are a matter for the local government to consider.