French Polynesia's Tahoeraa Huiraatira party has nominated Gaston Flosse as its candidate in the presidential election due to be held within less than two weeks.
The party made the choice two days after a special sitting of parliament passed a motion to oust the 15-week old government of President Oscar Temaru, which was accused of being unable to run the country.
But controversy continues to surround the weekend vote, and the speaker, Antony Geros, has not set a date for fresh presidential elections.
The French high commissioner, Michel Mathieu, has now sent him a letter, advising him to set out, without delay, the path for the election after he failed to agree on the matter in a meeting with Tahoeraa leaders.
It was noted after the assembly meeting that the opposition, with the support of one former government MP, had only approved the first of two no confidence motions - the one signed by only six MPs instead of the legally required 12.
The ousted administration wants fresh general elections, claiming it is being robbed of its victory in the May polls, but the French government has rejected its request.
Instead, the French high commissioner says the assembly's deputy speaker may be called upon to convene the legislature to choose a new president.
Supporters of the ousted Temaru government plan demonstrations over the next few days amid warnings by the opposition in France that there could be trouble in Tahiti if the wish for a new mandate from the electorate is not respected.
In an election upset in May, Mr Flosse lost power after running the territory for most of the past two decades.
