Elections in French Polynesia
Encyclopedia
Elections in French Polynesia gives information on election
and election results in French Polynesia
.
French Polynesia elects the Assembly of French Polynesia
(Assemblée de la Polynésie française), the unicameral
legislature
on the territorial level. The Assembly of French Polynesia has 57 members, elected for a five year term by proportional representation
in multi-seat constituencies.
French Polynesia has a two-party system
, which means that there are two dominant political parties, with extreme difficulty for anybody to achieve electoral success under the banner of any other party.
In June 2011, the electoral law will likely be changed again, with a two-round proportional system including a bonus of a third of the seats for the winning list in the second round, with the rest of the seats distributed proportionally; the electoral threshold to advance to the second round will be 12.5%.
, 63, was elected president of French Polynesia
for the 3rd time in 3 years (with 27 of 44 votes
cast in Tahiti
assembly
). He replaced former President Gaston Tong Sang
, who lost a no-confidence vote in the 31 August parliament
.
of Bora Bora
, won 29 seats out of the 66 possible but not the overall majority. The Union for Democracy (Union pour la Démocratie) which included Oscar Temaru
's pro-independence Tavini Huiraatira
gained 20 seats. A surprise coalition between old enemies Gaston Flosse
(Tahoera'a Huiraatira
, 10 seats) and Temaru saw once again the election of Flosse as President
of French Polynesia
.
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
and election results in French Polynesia
Politics of French Polynesia
Politics of French Polynesia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic French overseas collectivity, whereby the President of French Polynesia is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government...
.
French Polynesia elects the Assembly of French Polynesia
Assembly of French Polynesia
The Assembly of French Polynesia is the unicameral legislature of French Polynesia, located at the Place Tarahoi in Papeete, Tahiti. It consists of 57 members who are elected by popular vote and by proportional representation in 6 multi-seat constituencies. The only official language of the...
(Assemblée de la Polynésie française), the unicameral
Unicameralism
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...
legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
on the territorial level. The Assembly of French Polynesia has 57 members, elected for a five year term by proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
in multi-seat constituencies.
French Polynesia has a two-party system
Two-party system
A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties...
, which means that there are two dominant political parties, with extreme difficulty for anybody to achieve electoral success under the banner of any other party.
In June 2011, the electoral law will likely be changed again, with a two-round proportional system including a bonus of a third of the seats for the winning list in the second round, with the rest of the seats distributed proportionally; the electoral threshold to advance to the second round will be 12.5%.
2004 elections
The elections in 2004 produced a close result leading to unstable majorities in the assembly. In addition, the election was invalidated in districts in Tahiti and Moorea, causing by-elections in 37 out of 57 seats.2007 elections
On September 14, 2007, Oscar TemaruOscar Temaru
Oscar Manutahi Temaru is a French Polynesian politician. He has been President of French Polynesia , a French dependency with broad powers of self-rule, on five occasions: in 2004, from 2005 to 2006, from 2007 to 2008, in 2009, and again since 1 April 2011.-Career:He first served as the President...
, 63, was elected president of French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
for the 3rd time in 3 years (with 27 of 44 votes
Votes
Votes are a people of Votia in Ingria, the part of modern day northwestern Russia that is roughly southwest of Saint Petersburg and east of the Estonian border-town of Narva. Their own ethnic name is Vadjalain . The Finnic Votic language spoken by Votes is close to extinction. Votians were one of...
cast in Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
assembly
Deliberative assembly
A deliberative assembly is an organization comprising members who use parliamentary procedure to make decisions. In a speech to the electorate at Bristol in 1774, Edmund Burke described the English Parliament as a "deliberative assembly," and the expression became the basic term for a body of...
). He replaced former President Gaston Tong Sang
Gaston Tong Sang
Gaston Tong Sang 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...
, who lost a no-confidence vote in the 31 August parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
.
2008 elections
In the elections on January 27 and February 10, 2008, the To Tatou Ai'a (Our Land) party led by Gaston Tong Song, MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Bora Bora
Bora Bora
The commune of Bora-Bora is made up of the island of Bora Bora proper with its surrounding islets emerging from the coral reef, 29.3 km² in total, and of the atoll of Tupai , located north of Bora Bora...
, won 29 seats out of the 66 possible but not the overall majority. The Union for Democracy (Union pour la Démocratie) which included Oscar Temaru
Oscar Temaru
Oscar Manutahi Temaru is a French Polynesian politician. He has been President of French Polynesia , a French dependency with broad powers of self-rule, on five occasions: in 2004, from 2005 to 2006, from 2007 to 2008, in 2009, and again since 1 April 2011.-Career:He first served as the President...
's pro-independence Tavini Huiraatira
Tavini Huiraatira
The Tavini Huiraatira is a political party in French Polynesia.The party was founded in 1977 by Oscar Temaru under the name the Front for the Liberation of Polynesia...
gained 20 seats. A surprise coalition between old enemies Gaston Flosse
Gaston Flosse
Gaston Flosse is a French Polynesian politician who has been President of French Polynesia on four separate occasions. He is currently a member of the Senate of France.-Life and career:...
(Tahoera'a Huiraatira
Tahoera'a Huiraatira
Tāhōʻēraʻa Huiraʻatira is a political party in French Polynesia.At the last legislative elections on May 23, 2004, and by-elections on February 13, 2005, the party won 27 out of 57 seats....
, 10 seats) and Temaru saw once again the election of Flosse as President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
.