How self-governing

system would work

Under the system of internal self-government envisaged by French Polynesia’s autonomists, the office of Governor of the terri tory would be converted into that of French High Commissioner and the chief executive be a Prime Minister elected by the Ter ritorial Assembly.

These details were given in a statement made in April by Mr.

Henri Bouvier, a spokesman for the autonomists, when he claimed during the municipal election cam paign that the aims of the autono mists were being deliberately mis represented by their political op ponents.

Mr. Bouvier is a leading mem ber of the autonomist coalition in the Territorial Assembly. He said that the full text of the system of government proposed by the auto nomists was contained in a 43-page document presented to the Gover nor by the Territorial Assembly in February, 1969.

The document proposed that French Polynesia would be an overseas territory of the French Republic with legal individuality and internal autonomy.

The institutions of the territory would be: • A Governing Council. • A Territorial Assembly.

• An Economic and Social Council. • A Joint [Franco-Polynesian] Council.

The Governing Council would be made up of a president, with the title of Prime Minister, a vice president; and five to seven coun cillors, all of whom would be ministers of the territory.

The Prime Minister would be elected by the Territorial As sembly after outlining his policy before it. The ministers would be chosen by the Prime Minister.

The powers of the Prime Minis ter would be those now exercised by the Governor.

The functions of the Governing Council would be collegial in the general administration of the terri tory’s internal affairs and indi vidual in the running of those territorial services placed under the charge of each minister.

The Territorial Assembly would be composed, as now, of 30 mem bers who would carry the title of “territorial delegates”.

Bearing in mind the powers of the Governing Council, the Terri torial Assembly would deliberate on all matters which were not the responsibility of the [French] State.

The ministers of the territory would be responsible before the Territorial Assembly both collegi ally and individually.

The Economic and Social Coun cil would be composed of council lors chosen democratically by the social, professional and cultural organisations of the territory. The council would have advisory powers on economic, social and cultural matters.

The Joint Council would be an advisory body of 12 members— six representing the State and six representing the territory.

The representatives of the State would be the High Commissioner, the Deputy High Commissioner and four officials of the High Commission designated by the High Commissioner.

The representatives of the terri tory would be the Prime Minister, two other ministers, the president of the Territorial Assembly, and two territorial delegates.

The Joint Council would express opinions on matters which were on the borderline of the compe tence of the State and the terri tory, and would find ways of con ciliating conflicting points of view.

As in the Comoro Islands and Djibouti, the State would be repre sented in French Polynesia by a High Commissioner nominated by the Central Government, and as sisted by a Deputy High Commis sioner. The High Commissioner would be the depository of the powers of the Republic and would exercise the powers of the State in the territory.