Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

s for the

Assembly of French Polynesia The Assembly of French Polynesia (french: Assemblée de la Polynésie française, Tahitian: Te apo'ora'a rahi o te fenua Mā'ohi) is the unicameral legislature of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the French Republic. It is located at Pl ...

, the Territorial Assembly of

French Polynesia )Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze") , anthem = , song_type = Regional anthem , song = "Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" , image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of French ...

, were held on May 23, 2004. In a surprise result

Oscar Temaru Oscar Manutahi Temaru (born November 1, 1944) is a French politician. He has been President of French Polynesia (''président de la Polynésie française''), an overseas collectivity of France, on five occasions: in 2004, from 2005 to 2006, from ...

's pro-independence progressive coalition formed Government with a one-seat majority in the 57 seat parliament, defeating the conservative party led by

Gaston Flosse Gaston Flosse (born 24 June 1931) 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 receiv ...

(see also

List of political parties in French Polynesia This article lists political parties in French Polynesia. French Polynesia has a multi-party system, where multiple parties can achieve electoral success. Current parties * A here ia Porinetia ("I Love Polynesia") - Far-right, autonomist and a ...

). On October 8, 2004, the Gaston Flosse led opposition party succeeded in passing a censure motion against the Government. This provoked a political crisis, and controversy about whether the national

government of France The Government of France (French: ''Gouvernement français''), officially the Government of the French Republic (''Gouvernement de la République française'' ), exercises executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who ...

should use its exceptional power to call for new elections in a local government, in case of a grave political crisis.

Timeline

23 May 2004:

s for the

(''Assemblée de la Polynésie française''), the territorial assembly of

, held. A progressive coalition led by pro-independence

wins 26 (27 respectively) seats and forms a coalition with 3 (2 respectively) autonomist members to form a Government with a majority of one (see also

). The conservative party led by

has 28 seats. 10 June 2004: Former President,

, and his conservative party, Tahoeraa Huiraatira, stayed away from the presidential (''Le président de la Polynésie française'') election, thus invalidating it, as a three-fifths quorum was required. He subsequently lost one defector to Oscar Temaru. 14 June 2004: Oscar Temaru elected President (''Le président de la Polynésie française'') (when a simple majority quorum was required), gaining 30 out of 57 votes. 5 October 2004: Two motions of censure tabled in the

(''Assemblée de la Polynésie française''). One from Gaston Flosse's Tahoeraa Huiraatira party, and one from a new group, Te Ara, that includes three former members of Flosse’s party. 9 October 2004: A motion of censure tabled by the conservative Tahoeraa Huiraatira, was adopted by 29 votes out of 57. The motion was proposed by opposition leader Gaston Flosse after Oscar Temaru ordered an audit of the previous government, which was led by Gaston Flosse. A second censure motion was not voted upon. 12 October 2004: Tahoeraa Huiraatira, endorses its President,

, as its official candidate for the Presidency in the French administered territory of

(''Le président de la Polynésie française''). The President of the

(''Le président de l'Assemblée de la Polynésie française''), Antony Géros, from Oscar Temaru's coalition government, insisted that the parliament should meet on October 25 to elect a new government president (''Le président de la Polynésie française''). However, this date was against the advice of the French High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia (''Le Haut-Commissaire de la République en Polynésie française'') Michel Mathieu who stated in written letters that the Assembly of French Polynesia (''Assemblée de la Polynésie française'') is required to vote on a new government president (''Le président de la Polynésie française'') within 15 days of the passage of a censure motion. The third Vice president of the Assembly of French Polynesia, Lana Tetuanui from Gaston Flosse’s party, called for the Assembly to sit on October 20, 2004. 15 October 2004: Second request by Oscar Temaru for fresh elections denied by French minister for overseas Territories (''la Ministre de l’Outre-mer'') Brigitte Girardin. 16 October 2004: More than 20,000 people march through

Papeete Papeete ( Tahitian: ''Papeete'', pronounced ) is the capital city of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of the French Republic in the Pacific Ocean. The commune of Papeete is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivisi ...

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Aust ...

, the main island of

, in support of Oscar Temaru demanding new elections. Demonstrations also occur across French Polynesia. 19 October 2004: French Polynesia’s caretaker government president,

, has asked the Papeete administrative court (''Le Tribunal administratif de la Polynésie française'') to suspend, then cancel the October 9 adopted censure motion. 20 October 2004: The

meets, but is unable to elect a new president (''Le président de la Polynésie française'') as there is not a required quorum in attendance due to a boycott of members supporting

. 22 October 2004: The

meets to elect President (''Le président de la Polynésie française''). Simple Majority required.

was re-elected (''Le président de la Polynésie française'') by a one-vote majority and sworn in immediately during a parliamentary session boycotted by caretaker President

. The parliament elected Flosse with 29 of 57 votes; the 28 pro-independence members boycotted the vote. Antony Géros, the president of the Assembly of French Polynesia (''Le président de l'Assemblée de la Polynésie française''), did not participate in Friday’s session, and also described Flosse’s election Friday as an "election of the president of the Tahoeraa Huiraatira", which is a reference to Flosse’s pro-autonomy and anti-independence party. Geros said that Monday, October 25, is the only legitimate date for the parliament to elect a government president following the censure motion. 23 October 2004: a

Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...

(French national supreme administrative court) judge rejected two petitions from Tahiti to suspend the October 9 censure motion that toppled French Polynesia President (''Le président de la Polynésie française'') Oscar Temaru’s majority coalition government. 26 October 2004: Tensions remain high in French Polynesia as the Leadership remains in doubt. The Legislative Assembly failed to sit on Monday, October 25. Assembly Speaker (''Le président de l'Assemblée de la Polynésie française''), Antony Géros, failed to turn up and chair the sitting he himself had scheduled.

, who was elected President (''Le président de la Polynésie française'') by an assembly sitting on October 22, attempted to enter the Presidential palace on the weekend but was met by closed gates. 15 November 2004: The Council of State, judging on a request from Gaston Flosse, cancels the May elections in the

Windward Islands french: Îles du Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean Sea Nor ...

-circonscription (french: la circonscription des Îles du Vent) for the reason that the neutrality of election officials was not observed in one of the communes, which, given the small difference of vote counts, may have altered the electoral results. 13 February 2005:

By-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election ( Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election use ...

s for the

are held in the

-circumscription (french: la circonscription des Îles du Vent)(Governmental site)
/ref> The pro-independence-coalition wins 30 seats: Part of the pro-independence-coalition is the Union for the Democracy (''Union pour la Démocratie'') with Oscar Temaru's Tavini Huiraatira (''People's servant'') which wins 27 seats and the Alliance for a New Democracy (''Alliance pour une Démocratie Nouvelle'') which wins 3 seats. The Conservative coalition (consisting of one party only), the pro-autonomy, anti-independence Tahoera'a Huiraatira (''Popular Rally''), wins only 27 seats. 3 March 2005: Oscar Temaru elected President of French Polynesia (''Le président de la Polynésie française'') for the second time.

Results

References

External links

* {{French Polynesian elections Elections in French Polynesia

2004 in French Polynesia

Election and referendum articles with incomplete results