6 Apr 2005

French Polynesia president appoints Christiane Athane to review GIP

7:47 pm on 6 April 2005

French Polynesia's president, Oscar Temaru, has named a lawyer employed by the Faaa townhall to review the intervention group, the GIP, in line with the deal struck two days ago to end its rebellion.

Christiane Athane is tasked with reviewing the 12-hundred strong organisation which forced Mr Temaru to drop Robert Maker as GIP boss and raise pays.

A statement says she will be given access to the GIP headquarters and will be allowed to look at all its files.

The deal paving the way for her appointment follows two port blockades by the GIP in two weeks which ended when Mr Temaru gave in to a GIP demand to let Yannick Boosie run the force for three months.

The arrangement was brokered by the French state after it earlier dismissed the port blockades as labour disputes between the government and one of its agencies.

Mr Temaru has meanwhile flown to New Zealand for a private visit.