Stray beam

from a Tahitian blackout

From a special correspondent The almost-complete blackout on news from Tahiti since the tightening up of the situation upon the arrival of new Governor Charles Schmitt has nevertheless seen a few glimmers of information escape from Paris.

Three days after taking up his post in late December, the new French governor in Papeete ordered the expulsion of a French public servant for an alleged insult to President Giscard d’Estaing. The dazed victim was head of the Tahiti Labour Of fice, Mr Laurent, called up by Governor Schmitt and ordered to quit Tahiti by January 15 after certain remarks he made m a midnight radio broadcast on New Year’s Eve.

Mr Laurent reportedly told radio listeners, lam a Republican before being a Giscardian and since 1958 our republic has been the private possession of three presidents rather than belonging to the French people.”

As the Tahiti press pointed out, Gover nor Schmitt’s action showed that his war nings upon arrival in the territory should not be taken lightly and that Mr Laurent is not likely to be the only victim in the tightening of controls. Hence the news blackout.

Main problem facing the governor has

been the refusal of the autonomist Territorial Assembly to meet, thus block ing certain procedures, although, as head of the territory, the governor has full ex ecutive powers locally. In mid-May, autonomist leaders of the assembly were again in Paris campaigning for a reform of the latest new political statutes proposed by Overseas Territories Minister, Mr Olivier St irn.

With the Tahiti Assembly having re jected Mr Stirn’s statutes proposition, and the French authorities having refused to dissolve the assembly as requested by the autonomists, the situation had reached a stalemate. In mid-May, as the Overseas Territories ministry refused their demands, the Tahitians addressed a strongly-worded letter to members of the French National

Assembly. The French Assembly is, however, only a debating house when the ministries do not wish to act. Nonetheless, the letter was signed by French Polynesia’s deputy to Paris, Francis Sandford, Senator Pouvanaa a Oopa, President of the Territorial Assembly, Frantz Vanizette and fellow-assemblyman Henri Bouvier.

The letter opens with the warning, “The way things are going between Paris and Tahiti, Polynesia will not remain French much longer”. The letter openly criticises the attitude of France towards Polynesia and denounces the “incoherence and bad faith” of actions on the part of the Overseas Territories Minister.

The letter ends: “Polynesia will remain French only upon the freely-expressed desire of her people. For that reason, they must be given solid reasons, the principal one being the right to manage their own af fairs themselves.”

In the meantime, one French parliamen tary leader undertook to seek government approval for dissolution of the assembly in Tahiti, enabling new elections and a clearer local vote on the issue. And in July a mission is expected in Tahiti from the Paris Parliamentary Law Committee, just another step in the wearying battle of nerves.