Page 10 - Islands Business May 2023

French Polynesia French Polynesia

FP Edouard Fritch and Gaston Flosse

Fritch and Oscar Temaru deep in conversation Moetai Brotherson and Oscar Temaru
INDEPENDENCE PARTY WINS

FRENCH POLYNESIA ELECTIONS

By Nic Maclellan government, apart from two individuals who already hold
elected mandate, all the rest are not political people. There
Moetai Brotherson is the new President of French Polynesia, are a lot of young people in the upcoming government, with
after the stunning electoral victory of the independence party high qualifications and a lot of experience, so I think there
Tavini Huira’atira no Te Ao Mao’hi in elections for the Assembly will be a real change.”
of French Polynesia. He said his new government would focus on “the immedi-
Voters gave Tavini Huira’atira an overwhelming mandate on ate concerns of our people, which are shared all round the
30 April, as long-time independence leader Oscar Manutahi world: the increased cost of living and the search for jobs –
Temaru led his party to victory with 44.32% of the vote. especially for our less educated people, the ones who don’t
It was a significant defeat for outgoing President Edouard fit within the French educational system that has been copied
Fritch of the Tapura Huira’atira party, which had governed and pasted here.”
French Polynesia since 2014. Tapura gained 38.53% of the
vote, while the breakaway party A here ia Porinetia (AHIP), Electoral alliances
led by former Tapura politicians Nuihau Laurey and Nicole The Assembly elections were conducted over two rounds,
Sanquer, came third with 17.16%. with seven competing lists seeking popular support. In the
Although Oscar Temaru headed the Tavini electoral list, the first round of voting on 16 April, just three lists reached the
party nominated new generation politician Moetai Brotherson 12.5% of registered voters needed to join the second round:
as its candidate for the presidency. As Assembly members met Tavini Huira’atira, Tapura Huira’atira, and A here ia Porinetia.
for the first time on 12 May, long-time Tavini politician An- The electoral system allows any party with more than 5% of
thony Geros was elected to head the local legislature. The As- the vote to join a second-round alliance with one of the major
sembly then elected Moetai Brotherson as President of French parties. For Tavini, Moetai Brotherson confirmed they would
Polynesia, with Eliane Tevahitua as the first-ever female Vice run alone: “The only alliance that we’ve made is with the
President. people.”
Speaking to Islands Business after the election, President In contrast, long-serving conservative politician Gaston
Brotherson highlighted the generational shift in French Polyne- Flosse sought a tactical partnership with President Fritch.
sian politics. Flosse’s Amuitahira’a o te Nuna’a Ma’ohi party had failed to
“Around 80% of the Tavini group in the Assembly are new- reach the second round, but the old lion of French Polynesian
comers to the political scene,” he said. “In my upcoming politics announced he wanted to “create an alliance between

10 Islands Business, May 2023