Lawyers for French Polynesia's disgraced former president, Gaston Flosse, are reportedly considering an appeal against a ruling that would prevent him from standing for office at the next election.
Gaston Flosse Photo: AFP
Last week, the appeal court upheld Flosse's conviction conviction for abuse of public funds, giving him a suspended jail sentence and banning him from office for two years.
A statement issued by the French justice ministry said the ban had to be served at the end of a ban for a previous conviction, not concurrently, which would prevent him from running in the 2018 election.
But Alex du Prel of the Tahiti Pacifique magazine said Flosse's lawyers had disputed this interpretation, and Mr du Prel said they were weighing up a possible court challenge.
"What sounds the same is not really the same and Mr Flosse has expensive lawyers saying 'no,no,no these are not exactly the same verdicts, they cannot be accumulated, they must run at the same time,' so Mr Flosse's lawyer went to the French upper court."
Alex du Prel said if the case did go through the courts, it could take years and the 84-year-old Gaston Flosse may be able to stand for office in 2018.