French Polynesia Politics

French Polynesia is a territory of France and has a parliamentary representative democratic government, where the President of French Polynesia is the head of government, and there is a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Assembly of French Polynesia (the territorial assembly).

Political life in French Polynesia has been marked by great instability since the mid-2000s. On September 14, 2007, the pro-independence leader Oscar Temaru, 63, was elected president of French Polynesia for the 3rd time in 3 years. One of his major platforms has been to separate from France. However, he had no stable majority in the Assembly and new territorial elections were held in February 2008 to help solve the political crisis.

As a French overseas collectivity, the local government has no justice, education, security and defense departments as they are directly provided and administered by the French State, the Gendarmerie and the French Military. The highest representative of the State in the territory is the High Commissioner of the Republic.

Islanders do have some say within domain of France. French Polynesia sends two deputies to the French National Assembly, one representing the Leeward Islands administrative subdivision, the Austral Islands administrative subdivision, the commune (municipality) of Moorea-Maiao, and the westernmost part of Tahiti (including the capital Papeete), and the other representing the central and eastern part of Tahiti, the Tuamotu-Gambier administrative division, and the Marquesas Islands administrative division. French Polynesia also sends one senator to the French Senate. French Polynesians can also vote in the French presidential elections.

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