Photo: RNZI/ Walter Zweifel
A mayor has been elected in the French Polynesian commune of Papara for the weeks remaining until the March municipal elections.
Gaston Tunoa was chosen to fill the vacancy created by last year's conviction in the criminal court of the incumbent Putai Taae.
Last May, Taae was given a suspended 18-month jail sentence as well as a ban from holding public office for two years.
Taae first lost his assembly seat for the ruling Tapura Huiraatira party, and then despite appeals to France's highest court, lost the mayoralty last month.
He was one of four people convicted for having spent public funds to travel to the US purportedly to set up a sister city relationship with San Diego.
They failed to produce any records of their endeavours.