This article is part of a series on the politics and government of French Polynesia |
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An indirect presidential election was held in French Polynesia on Tuesday 24 November 2009, after the opposition, led by Gaston Tong Sang, won a vote of no confidence against the government of incumbent French Polynesia President Oscar Temaru. [1]
The presidential election was the fourth since the 2008 general election. The President is chosen by members of the Assembly of French Polynesia.
In the November election, Gaston Tong Sang became the President of French Polynesia for the third time since December 2006. [1] [2] Tong Sang toppled the government of his predecessor, Oscar Temaru, in a 29–24 vote by the Assembly of French Polynesia in favor of the vote of no confidence. [1] As of November 2009, Tong Sang's coalition government will have a fragile one-seat majority in the Assembly. [1]
Tong Sang himself was similarly ousted by Temaru after the threat of a constructive vote of no confidence caused Tong Sang to step down in February 2009. Temaru had been returned to power in the February 2009 presidential election, held just nine months prior to the November election. [3] Tong Sand supports autonomy with France, while Temaru supports independence.
President Tong Sang announced his new cabinet on November 28, 2009, [2] including the new vice president and 12 cabinet ministers, including three members of the private sector who are not politicians. [2] He also retained three cabinet ministers from the preceding February - November 2009 Temaru government. [2]
Tong Sang named Edouard Fritch, the floor leader of the Tahoera'a Huiraatira party in the Assembly, as the new Vice President of French Polynesia. [2]
Tong Sang named the majority of his government's cabinet from the three political parties which provided him with the narrow one-vote majority in the French Polynesia Assembly. [2] The three parties in the November 2009 government were Tong Sang's own pro-autonomy O Porinetia To Tatou Ai'a, the pro-autonomy Tahoera'a Huiraatira and the Te Mana o te Mau Motu, which includes representatives from French Polynesia's outer islands, such as the Tuamotus. [2]
The three cabinet ministers retained from Temaru's previous government were Frédéric Riveta, Tearii Alpha and Teva Rohfritsch. [2] All three are originally members of pro-autonomy parties: Riveta and Rohfritsch were both originally elected to the Assembly as members of the pro-France, pro-Tahitian autonomy Tahoera'a Huiraatira party, while Alpha was elected as a member of Tong Sang's O Porinetia To Tatou Ai'a political party. [2]
Rohfritsch, a banker who had served as the marine resources minister in the Temaru administration (Feb. 2009 - November 2009), was appointed as Tong Sang's minister of economic restructuring. [2] Riveta retained his existing position as economy and agricultural minister in both governments. [2] Alpha, who had served as the minister of public works and urban planning in the previous Temaru government, was appointed the new minister of land affairs, development, housing and public works in Tong Sang's government. [1]
French Polynesia, is an overseas collectivity of the French Republic and its sole overseas country. It is composed of 118 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over an expanse of more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) in the South Pacific Ocean. Its total land area is 4,167 square kilometres (1,609 sq mi).
Oscar Manutahi Temaru is a French politician. He has been President of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France, on five occasions: in 2004, from 2005 to 2006, from 2007 to 2008, in 2009, and from 2011 to 2013 and mayor of Faa'a since 1983.
Gaston Flosse is a French politician who has been President of French Polynesia on five separate occasions. He is currently a member of the Senate of France and has been a French junior minister under Jacques Chirac. He received sentences for corruption, which are under appeal.
Elections for the Assembly of French Polynesia, the Territorial Assembly of French Polynesia, were held on May 23, 2004.
Elections in French Polynesia gives information on election and election results in French Polynesia.
Tavini Huiraatira is a political party in French Polynesia that favours greater autonomy from its territorial ruler France.
Tāhōʻēraʻa Huiraʻatira is a political party in French Polynesia.
Gaston Tong Sang is a French politician and is the former President of French Polynesia. He served terms as President of French Polynesia from November 2009 until April 2011, from April 2008 until February 2009 and from December 2006 until September 2007; he is currently the Mayor of Bora-Bora. He is of Chinese descent, and is a founding member of French Polynesia's pro-French Tahoera'a Huiraatira political party.
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‘O Pōrīnetia To Tātou ‘Ai‘a was a French Polynesian anti-independence political party founded by Gaston Tong Sang on 1 October 2007 after he split from his former party, the Tāhō‘ēra‘a Huira‘atira. It had six members in the French Polynesian assembly, all former Taheora'a Huiraatira members.
Winfred Édouard Tereori Fritch is a French politician serving as President of French Polynesia since 2014. He previously served as President of the Assembly of French Polynesia on three occasions: from April 2007 to February 2008, from February 2009 to April 2009 and from May 2013 to September 2014. Fritch was co-President of Tahoeraa Huiraatira, a pro-French political party, until 2016, before becoming President of Tapura Huiraatira.
An indirect presidential election was held in French Polynesia on 11 February 2009, after defections from the ruling pro-autonomy faction and a scheduled constructive vote of no confidence planned for 12 February 2009 caused the incumbent Gaston Tong Sang to step down on 7 February 2009.
Alexandre Léontieff was a French politician and the President of French Polynesia from 1987 to 1991.
Jacques "Jacky" Teuira is a French politician and was the President of French Polynesia from February 12, 1987 to December 9, 1987.
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Mita Teriipaia is the French Polynesian minister for culture and the arts. He was appointed to his post in the government by President Gaston Tong Sang in November 2009.
Legislative elections were held in French Polynesia on 21 April and 5 May 2013. The result was a victory for the Tahoera'a Huiraatira party, which won 38 of the 57 seats in the Assembly.
Lana Tetuanui is a French politician serving as Senator for French Polynesia since 2015. A member of Tapura Huiraatira, she has been elected to the Assembly of French Polynesia since 2001.
Legislative elections were held in French Polynesia on 22 April and 6 May 2018. On 22 April 2018, voters cast their ballots in the first round of the election to the Assembly of French Polynesia. A second round was held on 6 May 2018 for the three political parties that exceeded 12.5 percent of the vote in the first round. The new Tapura Huiraatira party emerged as the largest in the Assembly, winning 38 of the 57 seats.