Reports from New Caledonia say Sonia Backes is to lead the list of the MPC Party in next month's provincial election.
The website Caledosphere says Ms Backes has been put ahead of the party founder and leader, Gael Yanno, who lost last month's bid to become the mayor of Noumea.
The reports say she has moved to the top of the list of the anti-independence camp which has emerged from the former RPC's splits of recent years.
Ms Backes has been a member of the territorial government and its spokesperson.
