Archive: Gaston Flosse’s iron grip in Tahiti
Victory was complete. Gaston Flosse crushed all opposition at the polls. David Robie in Pape’ete asks how powerful can he become as France’s newly...
Archive: Tahiti: Caricature of the leader
By David Robie
One political cartoon depicted President Gaston Flosse as a vampire. A potted "species" note in the opposition newspaper Te Teo o Te...
Archive: Tahiti: French first for Flosse
By David Robie
Born a demi in the Mangarevian village of Rikitea in 1931, Gaston Flosse is the first Pacific Islander to become a minister...
Archive: Tahiti: The third flag of Faa’a
By David Robie
Two flags fly outside most town halls in "French" Polynesia. One is the Tricolore of the French republic; the other is the...
Archive: Éloi Machoro knew his days were numbered
By David Robie in the New Zealand Times
Éloi Machoro was a marked man. Almost any day for the last few weeks could have been...
Archive: Bicycle snoop riles the Baltic
By David Robie in The New Zealand Times
Is Sweden breaching its long tradition of neutrality and secretly cooperating with Nato countries? Yes, believes controversial...