12 Jun 2004

Tahiti assembly told it can expect full house for presidential vote

9:44 am on 12 June 2004

Backers of French Polynesia's president says they'll show up in parliament when it votes to replace him.

A vote last week was put off because 27 members of Gaston Flosse's Tahoeraa Huiraatira party stayed away.

The vice-president Edouard Fritch now says his supporters will take their seats in the territorial assembly for the vote, earmarked for Tuesday.

Mr Fritch says his party will carry on fighting for democracy, and against moves for the territory to split from France.

The opposition has enough support to vote in Oscar Temaru as president, after it won elections last month.

Mr Flosse's supporters have twice failed in legal bids to overturn the election result.