1 Mar 2008

Oscar Temaru elected President of French Polynesia Assembly

10:07 am on 1 March 2008

The French Polynesian assembly has elected Oscar Temaru as the new

assembly president for a five-year term.

Mr Temaru, who is the leader of the Union For Democracy, won 28 votes

while the candidate of the To Tatou Aia coalition, Hiro Tefaarere, won 27 votes.

He replaces Edouard Fritch of the Tahoeraa Huiraatira who resigned last weekend, just two days after being elected.

That resignation was part of a deal between the Tahoeraa and the Union

For Democracy which saw the Tahoeraa leader, Gaston Flosse, elected

president.

Mr Flosse has now formed a 15-member government, with ten ministries held by the Union For Democracy.

He has made Mr Fritch the vice-president.