10 Jul 2013

France seeks curbs on multi-mandate parliamentarians

3:08 pm on 10 July 2013

The French National Assembly has passed a law banning lawmakers from holding an executive function elsewhere, including in overseas territories.

If the law is also approved by the Senate, members will have to make a choice after March 2017 if they want to keep their Paris job or remain in the executive.

Under current arrangements, almost 60 percent of parliamentarians would be affected, including three politicians in French Polynesia, such as Edouard Fritch and Gaston Flosse.

Mr Fritch is the president of the territorial assembly and Mr Flosse the president of the territorial government.

Mr Flosse's Senate term is up of renewal next year while his term as president is until 2018.

However his tenure could end this year if France's highest court upholds his corruption conviction, which was confirmed in Tahiti's appeal court in February.