Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Wallis awaits moves to elect new king

Posted at 03:50 on 06 November, 2007 UTC

Ceremonies have been held in Wallis and New Caledonia to mark the end of six months of mourning for the late king of Wallis, Tomasi Kulimoetoke.

He had died in May at the age of 88 after serving as lavelua, or king, since 1959.

No successor has been chosen and media reports say it’s unclear when a replacement will be elected.

French-backed attempts by rival clans to dislodge the king in 2005 failed after an armed rebellion by his supporters.