168 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) 2009). A woman who gave birth to and high-profile regional-hosting com- the prime minister’s grandson issued mitments disguising the reality of an a complaint when she had to pay a overburdening political structure. hospital fee of nz$1,000 (the rate for Several prominent deaths during tourists and contract workers) instead the year received national attention. of nz$26 (the fee for locals and per- The funeral of Sir Pupuke Robati, manent residents) (CIN, 29 Aug 2008). former prime minister and longtime Deputy Prime Minister Maoate, in his member of Parliament for the island of role as minister of health, promised to Rakahanga, was held on 1 May 2009 look at the issue more closely (CIN, 30 (CIN, 27 April, 1 May 2009). Lawyer Aug 2008). Albert Numanga, former John McFadzien, who served as Cook manager of the Cook Islands Tourism Islands solicitor general from 1983 office in Auckland, faced four charges to 1995, died 13 May 2009 (CIN, 14 of defrauding the Cook Islands gov- May 2009, 1). Sir Tangaroa Tangaroa, ernment of a total of nz$1 million. former queen’s representative and Numanga spent over ten years work- member of Parliament for Tongareva, ing in the Cook Islands tourism sector. was given a state funeral service on Numanga’s former boss, Chris Wong, 29 May 2009 (CIN, 29 May 2009). also faced charges of misusing govern- Professor Ron Crocombe passed away ment funds, including using thousands on 18 June 2009 (CIN, 19 June 2009), of dollars for gambling in the Auck- and the nation paid a special tribute to land Sky casino (CIN, 11 Feb 2009). the great scholar (CIN, “Salute to Papa Members of the Public Expenditure Ron,” 26 June 2009). Review Committee resigned as of 1 The year ended, as it began, with October 2008 because of a perceived public uncertainty in the current lack of support from the govern- administration. The government ment. Deputy Prime Minister Maoate received criticism when it announced declared that the committee was still a new policy of limiting heads of min- needed, despite the fact that much of istries to three terms (CIN, 23 June, 19 its workload had been taken over by June 2009). the audit department (CIN, 26 Sept jon tikivanotau m jonassen 2008). The government’s audit office revealed that over a million dollars of fundraising activity was going on References in public schools, restating the gov- ernment’s concern that there was too CIN, Cook Islands News. Daily. Rarotonga. much fundraising (CIN, 16 July 2008). Such reliance on private initiatives for funding underlines the conflict- ing priorities that continue between French Polynesia politicians, businesses, traditional The chronic political instability that leaders, and citizens. Overall, in the has been plaguing the country since rapidly changing social environment, 2004 continued, with no fewer than the country continued to spiral into an three different governments during the uncertain future, with depopulation period under review. The surprising pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 169 alliance between the two former arch- government had frequently changed enemies Oscar Temaru and Gaston from one of respect and reconciliation Flosse broke apart almost as quickly to one of interference, confrontation, as it had come to be. With short-term and colonial arrogance. coalitions now possible between each In mid-July, new French Secretary and every political party, political for Overseas Territories Yves Jego ideologies seem to be increasingly visited the country and urged the irrelevant, less and less masking the local government to be more account- opportunist ambitions of politicians able. While promising that the annual for power and money. amount of subsidies from Paris for the Many important people passed country government would remain away during the year under review. stable for 2009, he announced that the On 16 August 2008, former Arch- gigantic new hospital under construc- bishop Michel Coppenrath, the first tion in Taaone (begun under Flosse in Tahitian Catholic priest, died at age the early 2000s) will not receive any 84 (TPM, Sept 2008), followed on 4 French funding for its operation. A November by his elder brother Gerald week later, High Commissioner Colrat Coppenrath, an attorney, legal scholar, announced the gradual closing down and politician who had served as of the remaining French army and air French Polynesia’s senator from 1958 force bases during the next few years to 1962 (TPM, Dec 2008). On 4 Janu- (TPM, Aug 2008). ary, entrepreneur and master navigator While these announcements gave Francis Cowan, one of the pioneers of rise to speculations about France’s the revival of traditional navigation decreasing commitment to the country, in Oceania, passed away at age 82 local politics entered another round (TP, 5 Jan 2009). Alexandre Léon- with the upcoming French Senate elec- tieff, economist and former president tions of 21 September. On 10 July, a (1987–1991), and recently appointed common ticket was agreed to by the chairman of the Social Contingency parties of the two historic pro-French Fund (the territorial health insurance), and pro-independence leaders Gaston passed away on 2 March at age 61 Flosse and Oscar Temaru—Tahoeraa after a dazzling political career. On Huiraatira (People’s Rally) and Tavini 13 March, veteran politician Tino- Huiraatira (People’s Servant)/Union mana “Milou” Ebb, former mayor of pour la Democratie (upld)—which Mataiea and president of the assembly were already forming a common from 1994 to 1996, died at age 75 caucus in the assembly under the name (TPM, April 2009). of Union pour le Développement, la The review period began with the Stabilité, et la Paix (udsp) (TPM, Aug arrival of the new French high com- 2008). The two former archenemies missioner, Adolphe Colrat, on 5 July, had reconciled in July 2007 and taking the place of Anne Boquet as the entered into a coalition in order to representative of the French govern- fight Gaston Tong Sang, leader of To ment (TPM, Aug 2008). Boquet’s term Tatou Aia (Our Homeland) coalition had been fraught with controversy, and president of the country since since her attitude toward the local April 2008, whom they both criti- 170 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) cized as being too pro-French. Since The election clearly showed that, Temaru, then Speaker of the assembly, despite massive efforts by the French was not interested in a senate seat, government in support of Tong Sang, attorney Richard Tuheiava was nomi- Temaru and Flosse jointly still rep- nated by Temaru’s party as the second resented the majority. Even though candidate on the common list with Flosse had previously lost most of Flosse (TP, 8 Aug 2008). his ideologically pro-French voters to Since 1999, Flosse had been the Tong Sang, the majority of Tahoeraa country’s only representative in the party officials, particularly mayors French Senate on a nine-year term, in and councilors of rural municipali- addition to his various local offices. ties, were still loyal to their old leader. In a reapportionment of seats, French In Flosse’s case, the strategy of the Polynesia had received a second seat in new generation of French Gaullists the senate due to its increased popu- under President Nicolas Sarkozy to lation for the 2008 elections, while neutralize controversial figures of ex- the term of office for senators was President Jacques Chirac’s old guard reduced to six years. French sena- clearly failed. “Sarkozy succeeded in tors are elected by the so-called grand bringing down Jacques Lafleur and electors (ie, deputies of the National Lucette Michaux-Chevry, but Flosse Assembly, members of regional is his toughest nut to crack,” com- assemblies, and delegates of munici- mented a local observer, referring to pal councils). The electoral campaign parallel figures in New Caledonia was therefore mainly limited to the and Guadeloupe who were recently municipal councilors of the forty-eight removed from all positions of power municipalities of French Polynesia, (Tahiti resident, pers comm, 22 Dec who make up a large majority of the 2008). country’s 697 grand electors. Besides As Flosse was 77 at the time of the Flosse-Tuheiava ticket, President his reelection but Tuheiava only 34, Tong Sang ran as the official candi- French Polynesia’s delegation now date of the French ruling party Union includes not only the oldest but also pour un Mouvement Populaire (ump) the youngest of all 346 French sena- on a ticket with Pirae Mayor Béatrice tors. Not only did the French Gaul- Coppenrath-Vernaudon (TP, 12 Sept list ump party no longer support 2008). Flosse, but it also openly opposed Since the majority of the municipal him; therefore, he refused to rejoin its councils were ruled by either Temaru’s caucus and now sits in the ranks of the Tavini or Flosse’s Tahoeraa parties, few independent senators. Tuheiava, Flosse and Tuheiava won with 372 on the other hand, joined the caucus and 361 votes, respectively. Compet- of the French Socialist party, follow- ing candidates Tong Sang and Cop- ing a partnership agreement between penrath-Vernaudon received only 318 the Socialists and Temaru’s Tavini and 308 votes each. Five other tickets Huiraatira party. As the first openly of splinter parties received only a few pro-independence parliamentarian to or no votes at all (TP, 21 Sept 2008; represent the country in Paris, Tuhe- TPM, Oct 2008). iava promised to raise the issue of pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 171 independence in the French Senate. gradually cancelled by 2015 (TPM, The first initiatives he began work- Dec 2008). ing on were the revision of the still The reform plans provoked vocal legally valid political trial of historic protests by civil servants unions, sup- Tahitian leader Pouvanaa a Oopa ported by local opposition politicians.