French Polynesia's veteran politician Gaston Flosse has again failed to register as a voter in Papeete as he plans to run for a seat in this year's French National Assembly election.
The control commission struck him off the roll only days after he reregistered, citing the 2020 appeal court ruling which made him ineligible for public office for five years.
Flosse said he is certain there has been political interference for his deregistration.
He said he should be allowed to have his rights restored because his conviction is not final as an appeal is still pending in France's highest court.
Gaston Flosse Photo: AFP
The case relates to a long-running water supply scheme to an upmarket Tahiti neighbourhood, under which the residents' bill was taken care of by the public.
Flosse had set up the arrangement when he was mayor of Pirae, with the current mayor, the territory's president Edouard Fritch, allowing the abusive billing process to be continued.
In 2020, the two were fined US$10,000 each and ordered to jointly settle the water bill of US$820,000.
While the court declared Flosse ineligible to hold office, Fritch was allowed to keep his posts.
Flosse had described the court verdict as scandalous and crazy while his defence argued that the matter dated back to the 1980s and should no longer be considered.
First banned from public office for five years in 2014 over corruption convictions, the 90 year-old former president tried to run in the municipal elections in Papeete last year but failed to meet the registration requirements to be a candidate.