Gaston Flosse

Infobox_President
name = Gaston Flosse


order = President of French Polynesia
term_start = February 23, 2008
term_end = April 15, 2008
deputy =
predecessor = Oscar Temaru
successor = Gaston Tong Sang
order2 = President of French Polynesia
monarch2 =
term_start2 = October 23, 2004
term_end2 = March 3, 2005
predecessor2 = Oscar Temaru
successor2 = Oscar Temaru
order3 = President of French Polynesia
term_start3 = April 4, 1991
term_end3 = June 14, 2004
predecessor3 = Alexandre Léontieff
successor3 = Oscar Temaru
order4 = 1st President of the Government
term_start4 = September 14, 1984
term_end4 = February 12, 1987
predecessor4 = "Office created"
successor4 = Jacques Teuira
birth_date = June 24, 1931
birth_place = Rikitea, Mangareva,
French Polynesia
death_date =
death_place =
spouse = Tonita Flosse
party = Tahoera'a Huiraatira

Gaston Flosse (born June 24, 1931 Rikitea, Mangareva, French Polynesia) is a French Polynesian politician who has been President of French Polynesia on four separate occasions. He is currently a member of the Senate of France.

He supports the current autonomy arrangement between French Polynesia and France and has led the conservative pro-autonomy and anti-independence party Tahoera'a Huiraatira (People's Rally for the Republic Party) for more than 20 years. He was the vice-president of the government council from 1982 to 1984, when more autonomy was gained and he became President of the Governing Council. He held that position from 1984 to 1987 and from 1991 to 2004.

On February 27, 2004, French Polynesian autonomy was again increased, and Flosse became President of French Polynesia ("Le président de la Polynésie française"). Shortly after, though, his party lost the parliamentary elections, and on June 15, he left office when the parliament, the Assembly of French Polynesia ("Assemblée de la Polynésie française"), elected the pro-independence leader, Oscar Temaru to the post.

On October 22, 2004, he was re-elected to the presidency, and he took office that day, although doubt was cast on the legitimacy of this election by Antony Géros, the President of the French Polynesia Assembly (see French Polynesia political crisis 2004). On February 13, 2005, Flosse's party lost the parliamentary by-elections, which had been called as a compromise after pressure from Temaru's supporters. On February 18, 2005, Flosse lost the presidency again in a parliamentary confidence vote, and on March 3, 2005, Temaru took over.

Apart from having been president of the territory, he has also been both tourism minister and housing minister. He is the mayor of Pirea municipality north of Papeete and has represented the territory in the French National Assembly in Paris.Fact|date=September 2008 He was first elected to the Senate of France on October 1, 1998. [ [http://www.senat.fr/senateurs/elections/2008/senatoriales2008/d/liste_par_anciennete_serie.pdf List of Senators by date of election] , Senate website fr icon.]

Flosse was able to govern French Polynesia with the support of centrist parties and groupings. He and French President Jacques Chirac have a close personal association, Chirac being a godfather to Flosse's youngest son. This relationship, of course has given the Tahitian special access to the highest levels of power in France, which he has utilised in negotiating aid packages and financial support for the territory.

On 21 June 2006 Flosse was convicted of corruption and given a three-month suspended sentence. The court found that he had abused his political office in connection with a hotel purchase. He continued to be a member of the territorial assembly and French Senate. [http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=24909]

Flosse's party came third in the February 2008 legislative assembly elections, but with the support of Oscar Temaru and his UPLD (Union for Democracy) party, which came second, Flosse became President of French Polynesia again on 23 February 2008. [cite news|url=http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2008/02/27/flosse-temaru-merge-into-single-caucus|title=Flosse, Temaru Merge Into Single Caucus|publisher=Pacific Magazine|date=27 February 2008] He was replaced by Gaston Tong Sang after losing a vote of confidence on 15 April 2008, however. [cite news|url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=39199|title=French president welcomes French Polynesia’s change of leadership|publisher=Radio New Zealand|date=17 April 2008]

Flosse was re-elected to the French Senate in the September 2008 Senate election. [ [http://www.senat.fr/senateurs/elections/2008/senatoriales2008/d/liste_alphabetique_reelu.pdf List of Senators re-elected in 2008] (PDF file), Senate website fr icon.]

The JPK Affair

A France 3 TV programme, "Death in the Tropics" [cite web|url=http://programmes.france3.fr/pieces-a-conviction/44294532-fr.php|title=French TV programme, Death in the Tropics|publisher=] , implicated Flosse in the 1997 disappearance and possible murder of Tahiti journalist [cite web|url=http://cafepacific.blogspot.com/2008/06/flosse-to-sue-france-3-tv-over-jpk.html|title=Cafe Pacific Blog] Jean-Pascal Couraud (aka JPK) [cite web|url=http://www.jpkupdate.blogspot.com/|title=JPK Update website] . JPK allegedly had documents which tie Flosse to the Clearstream bank [cite web|url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=25579|title="France - Annual Report 2008" Reporters without Borders] allegedly involved in finance transactions for terrorists and CEOs. [cite web|url=http://130.94.183.89/magazine/money.html|title="Tracking Terrorist Money" Pacific News Service]

See also

* Politics of French Polynesia
* French Polynesian legislative election, 2004
* List of political parties in French Polynesia

Notes