Political Reviews
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Political Reviews Micronesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 michael lujan bevacqua, elizabeth ua ceallaigh bowman, monica c labriola, clement yow mulalap Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 peter clegg, lorenz gonschor, margaret mutu, chris nobbs, ‘umi perkins, steven ratuva, forrest wade young The Contemporary Pacic, Volume 30, Number 1, 125–213 © 2018 by University of Hawai‘i Press 125 Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 Reviews of American Sāmoa, Cook associate members since 2006, was Islands, Niue, Sāmoa, Tokelau, upgraded to full membership in the Tuvalu, and Wallis and Futuna organization (pir, 10 Sept 2016). are not included in this issue. While appearing at first glance a gesture of appreciation toward the French Polynesia two large French overseas possessions The year under review was again by their independent Pacific neighbors, relatively calm, without major politi- full membership for French Polyne- cal upheavals. Backed by a surpris- sia—as for New Caledonia—was in ingly stable majority in the Assembly fact highly controversial, both within of French Polynesia for his Tapura the country and among the larger Huiraatira party, President Édouard Pacific community. The government of Fritch continued leading the coun- French Polynesia and especially Presi- try with an essentially conservative dent Fritch, who was present in Pohn- political agenda, not aiming at major pei, surely expressed their satisfaction institutional or policy changes. On the and joy to have at last reached formal regional level, the country gained the equality with the neighbor countries, controversial distinction of becoming as did the president of New Caledo- a full member of the Pacific Islands nia’s government, Philippe Germain. Forum (pif). National elections in But, just like the Kanak pro-inde- France brought some fresh air into the pendence parties in New Caledonia, local political scene, giving Fritch’s Papeete’s pro-independence opposi- camp the opportunity to measure tion strongly opposed full member- its popular support, while the pro- ship and had in fact lobbied against independence opposition was able to it as much as possible (rnz, 11 Sept place its first-ever representative in 2016). Opposition leader and former the French National Assembly. At the French Polynesia President Oscar same time, the massive reconfiguration Temaru, head of the pro-independence of the political scene in Paris during Tavini Huiraatira party and the larger those elections has the potential to opposition coalition Union pour induce changes in the local configura- la Démocratie (upld), had always tions in Papeete over the coming years. warned that premature membership The first consequential political before having reached either indepen- event affecting the territory dur- dence or full self-government could ing the review period happened far jeopardize or at least slow down the away on Pohnpei in the Federated decolonization process, since it weak- State of Micronesia, where the pif ens the position of the Island states annual meeting took place from 8 to to put pressure on France in order 10 September 2016, and the status of to accelerate that process, making French Polynesia and New Caledonia, it more attractive to local leaders to 156 political reviews • polynesia 157 insist on complete decolonization as a non-Western powers (rnz, 14 Sept precondition for full pif membership. 2016; otr, 18 Sept 2016). Indeed, the acceptance of the two Armed with pif membership as territories as full members clearly evidence of tacit regional approval contradicts the self-definition of the of the country’s current relationship Pacific Islands Forum as consisting with France, in early October 2016 of “independent and self-governing Fritch attended the meeting of the states” (pif Secretariat 2017). This United Nations’ Special Commit- makes sense, since in only partially tee on Decolonization in New York self-governing territories such as to lobby for the removal of French French Polynesia, the colonial metrop- Polynesia from the United Nations olis—France, in this case—continues list of Non-Self-Governing Territories to have decisive influence. And it must (nsgts), to which it had been re-added be recalled that the pif was founded in in 2013. Fritch, the first-ever pro- 1971 specifically to create an organi- French local political leader to attend zation run by Island leaders in which such a meeting, argued that since colonial powers (specifically France, pro-French parties held the majority in with its extremely reactionary colonial the local assembly, decolonization was policies at the time) had no possibil- not desired by the local people, and ity to interfere (Fry 2015, 3–4). Since furthermore, that acceptance into the according to the organic law of French Pacific Islands Forum demonstrated Polynesia foreign affairs is an area of that such a process was unnecessary responsibility of the French national (pir, 4 Oct 2016). government and not of the semiauton- But this turned out to be a futile omous country government, the latter undertaking. Without checkbook- cannot make its own decisions in this wielding regional hegemons like Aus- field without prior approval from tralia and New Zealand in the room, a Paris. Hence, decolonization experts body run entirely by nonaligned coun- warned that membership for French tries of the Global South like the UN Polynesia and New Caledonia would Decolonization Committee was not be tantamount to a Trojan horse for easily impressed by Fritch’s efforts. France to enter the Pacific Islands Furthermore, the pro-French party Forum (otr, 19 Sept 2016). Tahoeraa Huiraatira of former Presi- It was also suspected that Australia dent Gaston Flosse, the third force in and New Zealand, whose geopo- the local assembly, from which Fritch’s litical interests appear to align ever movement had split in 2015, publicly more closely with those of France, disavowed Fritch’s New York mission were exerting pressure on the smaller and denied his authority to speak for island states to accept this de facto all “autonomist” (ie, anti-indepen- membership of France, in order to dence) locals (TI, 3 Oct 2016). Unlike obtain a further ally to support their the Pacific Islands Forum, the United neocolonial regional hegemony in the Nations would not bend its rules on Pacific Islands Forum and to contain decolonization. And as these rules the ramifications of Fiji’s alternative stand, only a UN-supervised referen- partnerships with China and other dum of self-determination, resulting in 158 the contemporary pacific • 30:1 (2018) either independence, free association, als” and requested UN authorities to or full integration (ie, becoming an monitor the impact of French nuclear administrative unit of metropolitan testing on the territory’s environ- France in this case) would lead to ment and its people’s health (United a removal from the list. In the end, Nations 2016). Moetai Brotherson, Tavini Huiraati- Meanwhile, back home, the ghosts ra’s representative at the Decoloniza- of the past were catching up with tion Committee meeting, provided President Fritch, reminding everyone more convincing counterpoints at the that, despite his efforts to style himself meeting, highlighting the fact that the as a new, rational, and forward-look- country’s “relisting on the UN list ing leader in local politics, he was far in 2013 gave France bad reasons to from a blank slate, as in late Septem- want us in the Forum, but at the same ber he was sentenced to repay 6.5 time gave our Pacific brothers a noble million cfp francs in salaries that he motivation to welcome us in” (otr, 7 had received for a “fictional employ- Oct 2016). ment” in the presidential office under Based on a draft prepared by Flosse between 1996 and 2004, part the Decolonization Committee, the of a large scheme of illegal funding UN General Assembly unanimously of Tahoeraa (Pacnews, 1 Oct 2016). adopted Resolution 71-120 on the (One hundred cfp francs is approxi- question of French Polynesia on 6 mately us$1.00.) Flosse himself and December 2016. While taking note of several others were sentenced to pay pif membership for the territory, the back an overall sum of 243 million resolution once more chastised France cfp francs to the public treasury (TI, for refusing to cooperate and submit 22 Sept 2016). information on the territory—this was But apparently this type of behavior the third year in a row that French was not confined to the recent past, Polynesia was the only nsgt for which as in mid-October, Flosse and Assem- the administrative power refused to bly Speaker Marcel Tuihani, Fritch’s submit any information, in violation successor as Flosse’s lieutenant party of its obligation to do so under article leader, were detained for questioning 73e of the UN charter. As in the year about a current suspected “fictional before, the UN General Assembly employment” of four Tahoeraa party urged France to work with both the members at the assembly’s secre- territory and appropriate UN bodies tariat, at a combined annual salary to educate the people on their right of of over 36 million cfp francs (pir, self-determination and to implement it 15 Oct 2016). Just a few days earlier, without delay. In addition, this year’s Flosse and his partner Pascale Haiti resolution contained much stronger had been sentenced to pay a fine of 3 language in support of the country’s million cfp francs for stealing expen- economic and ecological rights, under- sive silverware from the presidential lining “the permanent sovereignty of palace after Flosse’s removal from the the people of French Polynesia over presidency due to the confirmation their natural resources, including of another corruption conviction on marine resources and undersea miner- appeal in 2014 (rnzi, 12 Oct 2013).