Imperialist Power
One of France's farthest-flung and most exotic colonial possessions, French Polynesia, elected its first pro-independence leader yesterday in a blow to the government in Paris.
The new head of state, Oscar Temaru, replaced a long-time political ally of President Jacques Chirac as president. The new man favours independence for the South Pacific archipelago, also known by the name of its main island, Tahiti.
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France annexed the archipelago, a collection of 118 islands and atolls scattered over an area the size of Europe, in the 19th century.
Mr Temaru's election marks the end of a 20-year reign by his conservative predecessor Gaston Flosse, 72, a friend of Mr Chirac and staunch opponent of independence.
Mr Flosse's party was handed a stinging and unexpected defeat in legislative elections last month and later sought to have the results nullified. It then boycotted the vote for the new presidency.
The shock result, which coincides with political instability in France's other South Pacific colony, New Caledonia, heralds a loosening of ties with Paris, analysts said.
Matt's Chat
No War For Women and Little Island...wait a minute...
InstaUpdate
Glenn Reynolds points us to this
post furthering the "Free Tahiti" debate.
