Transcript
MOETAI BROTHERSON: For me it's a question of recovering the trust that has been lost between the people and politics. We've seen in the past few years fewer and fewer people going to vote, at least here in French Polynesia. The participation rate during the last election clearly showed that people don't go to vote any more because they just don't trust politicians any more. A big part of that lack of trust comes from politicians being condemned for misuse of public funds, for corruption, for abuse of power during their mandate and still being able to run for new elections.
WALTER ZWEIFEL: Voters of course have a choice and if they know that a politician is convicted, they could not vote for him. Why would there be a need to have a law then?
MB: If you take for example the public service. Anyone who wants to apply for a job in the public service needs to present a judiciary file that he is free of any charge. Why would a politician be above the rest of the people? Before I became involved in politics and before I got elected, I was part of the people and I am still part of the people. So I don't understand why politicians should stand above the rest of the people.
WZ: Now there is a history in French Polynesia of people successfully standing despite criminal convictions. Is this also part of a political drive of your party to eliminate rivals in future elections?
MB: Not at all. Of course there is one name that comes to mind when people see this bill, but this is absolutely not geared towards anyone in particular. The French constitution prevents any law from being retroactive. So past condemnations would not be taken into account. It's absolutely not an attempt to target someone. It's more a way to send a strong message to any future candidate to any election that things have changed and people expect more from their politicians.
WZ: Do you have an explanation why convicted politicians in French Polynesia are successful - and I'm talking here about a whole range of people, from Edouard Fritch to Emile Vernaudon to Gaston Flosse. They seem to be elected, re-elected - Emile Vernaudon was re-elected mayor while being in jail?
MB: It's perhaps a biased culture, a biased political culture. When the French nuclear testing arrived here, there was this tons of money poured into our country as a way to keep us silent, to keep us satisfied for the basic means. This has instilled a culture of expecting from politicians things that they are not allowed to give normally. There was this culture of 'if I vote for you, you give me a job', 'if I vote for you, you give me a house, 'if I vote for you, you provide me with a piece of land that I would not be able to get otherwise'.
