The unexpected call, which is regarded locally as a first ever, came from Flosse’s closest ally, the “president-delegate” from Tahoeraa Huiraatira and also Flosse’s son-in-law, Edouard Fritch.
Fritch said looking at the present situation, it was obvious Tahoeraa Huiraatira members did not understand Flosse’s recent decision, including that of withdrawing from a coalition with President Oscar Temaru.
Lat week, as Temaru announced his reshuffle and that two Tahoeraa Huiraatira ministers chose to stay in the new executive, despite calls from Flosse to pull out, the two, Teva Rohfritsch and Frédéric Riveta, were “suspended” from the party.
They later announced their decision to resign from Tahoeraa and to form a new party.
Reflecting on the recent developments, Fritch told local media Flosse “must reconsider his position within our movement and…pass the torch, frankly, to a new leadership team,” Fritch, who is regarded as a member of Flosse’ inner circle, told a stunned audience.
“I do not wish to come to this extreme (measure)…. I do not wish a collective disavow of the President of our movement,” a moved Fritch added. “If this option was not to be retained, I would request that the Great Council meet to debate this issue… I will not betray my President, contrary to what he said, because I respect him. I am therefore solemnly and gravely calling on the President of Tahoeraa to act with lucidity and to understand what is at stake before us,” Fritch added, strongly hinting that the said issue could be Flosse’s very position at the head of the party he founded over twenty years ago.
“Tahoeraa can no longer sit and watch his executives and militants leave … Incomprehension is tangible within a large part of our militants. This is of nature to question irreversibly the unity and the very existence of our movement”.
Tahoeraa’s Great Council is the party’s regulatory and disciplinary arm. Tahoeraa has also been French Polynesia’s undisputed ruling party for the past twenty years.
