Wallis and Futuna's 1st constituency
The 1st constituency of Wallis and Fortuna is a French legislative constituency covering the whole of the overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna. It is represented in the XIVth legislature by Napole Polutélé, an independent left-wing politician, elected at a by-election in 2013, though at the time of his election he represented the right.
Deputies
Election results
2013 by-election
David Vergé's 2012 election was annulled due to financial irregularities, causing a by-election on 17 and 24 March 2013.[1] Two candidates stood for the left, including Laurianne Vergé for the Socialists. She was the first woman ever to stand as a candidate for Parliament to represent the constituency - and was the wife of David Vergé, who had represented the other side of the political spectrum.[2] Seeking to retain the seat for the right, Napole Polutélé stood as an independent endorsed by the Union for a Popular Movement.[2]
All three candidates received good enough results to advance to the second round, where Polutélé received almost exactly the same result as in the first and was elected.[3] Two months later, having been elected to sit on the opposition benches (albeit officially as an independent), he joined the ranks of the Socialist-led majority. He explained frankly that being a member of the majority would make it easier for him to lobby the government for funds and services for his constituents - who, he said, cared little for the left-right divide prevalent in metropolitan France. He subsequently sat as an independent on the benches of the left.[4]
2013 by-election: Wallis and Futuna 1st - 1st round
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
Miscellaneous right |
Napole Polutélé |
2,543 |
37.4 |
+8.6 |
|
Miscellaneous left |
Mikaele Kulimoetoke |
2,253 |
33.1 |
+13.7 |
|
PS |
Laurianne Vergé |
2,006 |
29.5 |
+16.33 |
| Turnout |
6,865 |
75.7 |
-2.38 |
2012
2007
Sources and notes
