France's ruling UMP Party has denied a new nomination to New Caledonia's Jacques Lafleur for next year's French elections.
Mr Lafleur, who has been a member of the French assembly for 29 years, lost the party leadership in Noumea this year and subsequently formed a new party, called the RPC.
The UMP has chosen as candidates the leader of New Caledonia's Rassemblement-UMP, Pierre Frogier, and Gael Yanno.
