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Pacific island links: Fiji election, Tonga loans, Gaston Flosse, Micronesia trade and more

Pacific island links: Fiji election, Tonga loans, Gaston Flosse, Micronesia trade and more
Published 11 Sep 2014   Follow @CainTess

 Catch up on news, commentary and analysis from and about the Pacific island region...

  • The last polling to be released before the 17 September elections in Fiji indicates that a coalition government may be on the cards. Meanwhile, members of the military and others have cast their votes during the pre-polling period:

  • The Tongan Government has been trying hard to persuade China to convert $US119 million of loans into grant assistance but, to date, has been unsuccessful. The negotiation and management of the loans is proving politically contentious.
  • In French Polynesia, the political game looks to have ended for veteran politician Gaston Flosse, who has resigned as president having failed to obtain a pardon from Francois Hollande following a conviction for corruption last year. Opposition leader Oscar Temaru has called for fresh elections. Flosse will retain his seat in the French Senate until the end of the month.
  • In Solomon Islands, the ninth parliament has been dissolved ahead of elections to be held later this year.
  • In this 'In Brief' item, Peter Nuttall looks at the potential for moving to low-carbon shipping options for the Pacific island region.
  • In a recent interview, Greg Poling looks at how the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) fits in to the regional architecture.
  • The leaders of the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands have signed a treaty to create the Micronesian Trade and Economic Community.


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