A fight has been shaping on the sidelines of the 2010 Pacific Islands Forum between two of French Polynesia’s prominent leaders. On one side is Edouard Fritch, French Polynesian Vice-President representing the government, and on the other is Oscar Temaru, pro-independence leader, former president of French Polynesia and currently president of the Assembly.
Fritch stands for the current government’s view: the importance to promote a better integration of French Polynesia within the Pacific region, and to enhance regional cooperation notably on the environmental field, as Fritch underlined in his inaugural speech in front of the plenary assembly this week.
On the opposite side, Oscar Temaru is front-footing the idea of decolonisation, hoping to put it on the forum’s agenda and to raise awareness of moves to advance French Polynesia’s independence from its mother-country.
Other Pacific leaders who have gathered at the 2010 forum will be presented with two voices representing one country – one is official, the other represents a possible future.
But those two voices are not on an equal footing. As stated in a recent press release, Vice-President Édouard Fritch will officially represent French Polynesia’s government at the 41st Pacific Islands Forum which is currently underway in Vanuatu from August 3-6, while President Gaston Tong Sang is held back in the archipelago in his quality of Ministry of Finance as the budget is to be discussed this week at the Polynesian Assembly.
It appears the documents are designed to accentuate and legitimise Fritch’s presence in Vanuatu, and by comparison they underline the illegitimacy of Temaru’s presence.
Even if Temaru was not officially invited, he arrived in Port Vila last weekend to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Island’s independence.
In a press release, his party – Tavini Huiraatira – explains that “even if the Tavini Huiraatira’s president is not part of the official delegation, he intended to remind all independent leaders that French Polynesia remains one of the last colonised countries in the area.”
While admitting his non-official status, the party highlights the importance of his mission in Vanuatu.
According to this press release: “If he will not officially speak during the forum, he will meet the member states in order to awaken them to our (independence) cause”.
The statement adds: “Mr Temaru remains an elected representative, the president of the Assembly, second institution of the country, the voice of the nation.”
The two French Polynesian leaders’ positions remain polarised and contradictory – Fritch supports a regional vision of Pacific collaboration – Temaru stands fin favor of Polynesia’s independence.
While Pacific Island nations try to show unity for their 41st Forum, French Polynesia displays its political instability and division.
And Fritch’s stopover in Auckland did nothing to appease the heated situation. The Vice-President visited executives of Collier International, the real estate agency in charge of the auction of the Rocklands Hostel, which was controversially acquired by French Polynesia under Temura’s presidency. The hostel has been a financial disaster for French Polynesia and Fritch’s government intends to cut its losses and sell the hostel at a significant loss. - Pacific Scoop
Virginie Ribadeau Dumas
