Now It's Self-Management They Want
p. 12 · Read in the full issue
In a nicely-worded recent ex change of views in Tahiti, the leaders of the French Administration and Territorial Assembly both pointed up the need for greater local self-deter mination.
The word “autonomy” having be come such a frightening expression for the French authorities, the Tahiti Assembly president, anti-autonomist Gaston Flosse, called for greater lo cal “autogestion”, (self management).
Addressing Governor Daniel Vid eau, at the opening of the Assembly’s 1974 budget session late October, Mr Flosse pointed out that his group’s objective is for a statute giving in creased autogestion, and said that proposals to this end would be made in the coming months, without ques tioning the basic principle of adher ence to the French Republic.
Governor Videau, for his part,
promised the territory’s elected men greater participation in the running of local affairs. At the same time he warned against the instability which could result from too hasty a change in the existing political framework.
About the same time in Noumea, a leader of the Anti-Autonomist Front, Jacques Lafleur, repeated ac cusations against the autonomists as being separatists and anti-national, seeking independence from France.
Mr Lafleur nevertheless insisted that his side also wished for a change in the local balance of power, particu larly in making the Governor’s Ad visory Council (Conseil de Gouv ernement) more effective.
Of course, as long as the locals can be entertained fighting over one naughty word, the French authorities watch smiling, and unmoved . . .