French Polynesia’s pro-independence opposition leader, Oscar Temaru, plans to make a bid for the French presidency next year hoping to be able to secure enough support for a candidacy which would give him a national stage in France to draw attention to the decolonisation process.
He says that he is not trying to win the election, but instead unite the territory’s people who he says has been divided for years.
Temarau says he plans to approach French Socialist leaders, including Francois Hollande, Segolene Royal and Christine Taubira, the justice minister who in 2005 campaigned for him in Tahiti and also this coincides with next year’s 40th anniversary of French Polynesian autonomy, which he says should be done away with.
Temaru says decolonisation doesn’t mean for France to return the odd hectare of land previously used by the French military but to give back the 5.5 million square kilometres taken by force and ruse.
Although French Polynesia was returned to the UN decolonisation list three years ago, France has all but ignored the decision.
Source: RNZI
