Political Reviews • Polynesia 193 Jon Tikivanotau M
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political reviews • polynesia 193 elections suggests a potential for ended in the late 1990s. France con- dramatic changes to the judicial tinues to transfer massive aid for system and land laws. Unless such development, as much as us$1 billion issues are addressed, the future for a year (PIR, 26 Aug 2002). Flosse the ethnic Mäori of the Cook Islands built himself a monumental presiden- looks uncertain. tial palace that houses “623 employ- jon tikivanotau m jonassen ees and courtiers” and invested public money in many grandiose projects in Tahiti and overseas, but Temaru’s Reference demand for a referendum on inde- pendence is necessarily tempered by CIN, Cook Islands News. Rarotonga. Daily. a vision of ongoing French subsidies and compensation for the impact of nuclear testing. Editor Alex W du Prel of Tahiti-Pacifique Magazine called the situation a “social and economic French Polynesia fiasco” due to “cut and paste pro- Two overriding issues stand out in the grams prepared in Paris for a great past year or so in French Polynesia: industrial country, which French another change of statute, this time Polynesia is certainly not.” The Flosse to a supposedly more autonomous administration, which du Prel said “overseas country” of France rather encouraged only a “consumer society than an “overseas territory,” and a of privileges, of ecological looting surprising assembly election in May and corporatist castes [and] above 2004, which ended the twenty-year all made the rich more rich and reign of Gaston Flosse as president marginalized the part of the popula- and brought into office his longtime tion that remained authentic,” at one pro-independence rival, Oscar point even asked the local people for Temaru. No local leader, however, “fresh ideas” (TPM, July 2004). can easily escape the harsh reality of The number one local industry severe economic dependency caused remained tourism. In 2003, the by the introduction of nuclear testing number of visitors was over 200,000 in the 1960s. French military spending (nearly equaling the local population), distorted the communal Polynesian which represented a recovery from the society and created a middle class that negative impact of the events of 11 fed on French-subsidized government September 2001 on air travel. North jobs and patronage and enriched itself America, and mainly the United through corrupt business monopolies States, provided the largest number of and real estate investments at the visitors, with 77,000 or 40 percent of expense of the laboring majority. the market (and also the largest single French Polynesia, whose capital increase over 2002, about 25 percent); Papeete is on the populous main it was followed closely by Europe, island of Tahiti, is still in quest of a with 74,000 or 38 percent of the post-nuclear economy, since French market; then Japan with 20,000 funding for the former Centre d’Ex- (10 percent); Australia, New Zealand, perimentation du Pacifique (cep) and New Caledonia with 16,000 (8 194 the contemporary pacific • 17:1 (2005) percent); and South America (mainly through the lens of a political system Chile) with 3,800 (2 percent). Despite that is more highly centralized than special efforts to cater to the Japanese many others in the western world. market, such as increasing Tahiti Nui Although the relationship between service to three flights a week to French Polynesia and Paris has been Osaka and Tokyo and holding a described as “similar to that of the scuba-diving exhibition, the number Cook Islands and New Zealand” of Japanese visitors—mainly wedding (De Deckker 1994, 272), many would couples (who spend on average twice dispute just how “self-governing” as much as other tourists and espe- Papeete really is. Temaru complained cially enjoy the over-the-water bunga- that France still controlled foreign lows for honeymoons)—did not quite relations, immigration, external match the previous year (PIR, 4 April communications, currency, finance, 2003; 5 Jan 2004). defense, courts and police, and higher The number two industry, cultured education, among other things (1988, black pearls from the Tuamotu atolls, 279–282). Flosse managed to get the declined drastically in 2003, as prices statute changed twice, first in 1984 dropped by 80 percent. Despite gov- when he became president of the ernment regulatory reforms aimed at new government (and New Caledonia controlling quality, informal trading was in rebellion), and in 1996 after to foreign buyers evaded taxes and the last round of nuclear tests and undercut sellers. The local govern- anticolonial protests, when more ment continued to promote tuna fish- nationalist symbolism was added ing, by increasing the country’s fleet (Von Strokirch 2001). In 1998, when size, as well as vanilla production, New Caledonia’s Noumea Accord a once-profitable export for which promised gradually expanding auton- world prices were increasing (PIR, omy with a prospect of voting on 24 June 2002; 18 Feb, 13 May, 10 independence, Flosse proposed fur- June 2003). State-funded infrastruc- ther expansion of French Polynesia’s ture construction continued to grow, autonomy, to include the favoring of and scholarships for overseas training local citizens in hiring and establish- increased, but government efforts to ing businesses, as well as increasing curb rising deficits in public health the authority of the president and insurance and civil service pension Territorial Assembly (ta). French funds pushed doctors to strike for President Jacques Chirac agreed in a month in 2003 over reduced pay- May 1999, and negotiations began ments, while public workers demon- over a new statute that would confer strated against extending the required the high-sounding but ambiguous number of years for pension contri- label of “overseas country” within butions (PIR, 1 May, 29 May, 9 June, the French republic (PIR, 1 June 12 Aug 2003). 1999; Von Strokirch 2000). French Polynesia has received During a visit to Papeete in August several statutes of autonomy, notably 2002, French Overseas Territories in 1977 and 1984, but French notions Minister Brigitte Girardin said, “With- of “autonomy” are usually defined out French Polynesia, France would political reviews • polynesia 195 not be a great power, and France statute but Flosse wanted to limit the never failed to help Tahiti when discussion of its 194 articles to only needed.” She promised more financial four days. The opposition threatened support from the post-nuclear Eco- to boycott the proceedings if all the nomic Restructuring Fund created in articles were not debated, since the 1996, tax exemptions to encourage new laws would affect the territory for outside investment, and “new politi- decades, but Flosse’s absolute major- cal evolution” that would upgrade ity of 28 of 49 ta seats passed the local administrative power so that statute as he wished, while the oppo- new French laws would not infringe sition sang a nationalist song in the on bills passed by the local assembly public gallery in protest (PIR, 2 July, as long as the latter conformed to the 7 July 2003). Flosse also wanted Paris French constitution and the European to grant French Polynesia a second Union courts. Flosse, a career Gaullist senatorial seat in the French Parlia- closely allied with Chirac (who had ment by 2004, in order to mimic been newly reelected in 2002), com- New Caledonia, but the additional plained about the meddling in French seat will not take effect until 2007 Polynesian lawmaking by the previous (PIR, 14 July 2003). Also in July, Socialist government in Paris, but he Chirac came to the South Pacific, got along well with Gaullist Premier visiting not only the French territories Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who supported but also anglophone ex-colonies and his desire to expand self-government. powers. He said that he wanted “Independence would lead to dicta- France to be a “player” in the region’s torship and misery,” Flosse said, security and development, one that “[but] our autonomy statute was could provide additional assistance meant to evolve” (PIR, 24 June, directly or through the European 24 Aug 2002). By March 2003, Union. Old superpower rivalries were the French Parliament passed some a thing of the past, he said, and now “decentralization” amendments to the a spirit of cooperation should guide constitution, which called overseas the Pacific countries. He supported territories “overseas collectivities.” Australia’s intervention in Solomon Flosse said he would request a further Islands, but Prime Minister John name change to “overseas country” Howard was reluctant to allow and sponsor an organic law that France to take part in that peace- would allow the French Polynesian keeping operation in order to avoid Territorial Assembly to pass its own making the exercise appear “neo- “laws of the country,” protect local colonial” (PIR, 3 July, 29 July 2003). job hiring, enable French Polynesia Chirac suggested that French Poly- to share more governing powers with nesia be given observer status at the Paris, and contest any new French Pacific Islands Forum, as New Caledo- laws that interfered with its own nia had, but at their Auckland meet- authority (PIR, 20 March, 27 May, ing the Forum countries expressed 7 July 2003). mixed feelings. Temaru and Rock In July 2003, the Territorial Assem- Wamytan of New Caledonia had bly began to debate the proposed new criticized France’s “checkbook diplo- 196 the contemporary pacific • 17:1 (2005) macy” and warned that the Flosse of French Polynesia’s “own” money regime was a “Trojan horse” for to the fund, though he was already French interests. Unlike New Caledo- under investigation for trying to nia, whose Noumea Accord specifi- spread influence by “humanitarian” cally mentioned the prospect of inde- aid giving in the region (PIR, 30 July, pendence, French Polynesia’s new 4 Aug, 8 Aug, 12 Nov 2003; NC, statute contained no such option, 30 July 2003).