Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

April and May confirmed as French Polynesia election dates

Posted at 18:46 on 26 October, 2012 UTC

France has decided that the two rounds of French Polynesia’s territorial election will be held in April and May.

The French overseas territories minister, Victorin Lurel, gave the dates of April the 21st and May the 5th, adding that they have been approved by the prime minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault.

This comes a day after Mr Lurel suggested March and April as possible dates, while affirming that by law polling would have to be between January and June.

The French Polynesian president, Oscar Temaru, had asked for a delay until the appeals in the corruption trials involving a key rival, Gaston Flosse, have been completed.

The next election will be held under a new electoral system - the fourth imposed by Paris in eight years in efforts to increase political stability.

The last election was held in February 2008 and Flosse became president but he was voted out only weeks into his five-year term.