8 May 2012

French Polynesia gears up for French Assembly election

7:05 pm on 8 May 2012

More than two dozen people in French Polynesia have officially registered their candidacy for next month's election for three seats in the French National Assembly.

Until now French Polynesia has had only two members who have both fallen out with the Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party they stood for last time.

Walter Zweifel reports.

"Michel Buillard and Bruno Sandras have broken with the party of Gaston Flosse, whose son-in-law Edouard Fritch is vying to win a Paris seat. Also standing are a former president Gaston Tong Sang, a former assembly president, Philip Schyle and several former Tahoeraa ministers who now run their own parties inside or outside the territorial assembly. The ruling Union For Democracy has nominated two ministers, Pierre Frebault and Tauhiti Nena. They'll join a unionist Ronald Terorotua and private citizens for the contest whose first round is due on June the second."