French Polynesia's president Edouard Fritch has again admitted his weakness in believing in what he says was the dogma of the clean French nuclear bomb.
Edouard Fritch Photo: supplied / French Polynesian Presidency
Mr Fritch made the comment after the nuclear test veterans organisation Association 193 asked all election candidates to stand up to France over the consequences of the tests.
Mr Fritch said the Polynesians' trust has been abused by France, but he added that he wanted it to be rebuilt.
He said the compensation law adopted by France in 2010 needs to be redone and France must assume the costs linked to the health care of those affected by the blasts.
France tested 193 nuclear weapons in the South Pacific with the tacit support of the Tahoeraa Huiraatira party of which Mr Fritch was deputy leader at the end of the testing regime in 1996.
While the pro-independence camp opposed the testing, the Tahoeraa supported France which until 2010 maintained that its test were clean and caused no ill-health to those claiming to be sick because of exposure to radiation.