Pacific

French Polynesia allows sacked ministers back into assembly

13:43 pm on 2 May 2011

The president of French Polynesia's assembly, Jacqui Drollet, says the five ministers sacked by the previous president, Gaston Tong Sang, in February can return to their assembly seats immediately.

In a statement, Mr Drollet says he has been advised their stand-down period has been reduced by a month, ending on May the 1st.

The five were sacked amid a dispute over the 2011 budget and amid party splits, resulting in the assembly passing one budget and the president making his the official one.

Last week, one of the five former ministers, Teva Rohfritsch, announced that he would quit the assembly to return to the private sector.

This means the next politician on the Tahoeraa Huiraatira list, Rene Temeharo, will get Mr Rohfritsch's assembly seat.