French Polynesia's Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party is due to meet to decide on a candidate for next week's presidential election.
Its central committee has until midnight local time to select and register a candidate following the Tahiti by-election ten days ago in which the party failed to win a majority.
The government led by the Tahoeraa leader, Gaston Flosse, lost a no confidence vote five days ago and is under pressure.
The party's deputy leader, Edouard Fritch, said it would name a candidate, in addition to Oscar Temaru of the Union For Democracy whose bid has been made official earlier today.
The Temaru-led coalition appears to have a majority with the defection of, Jean-Alain Frebault, who is set to swap sides for the third time in nine months.
Mr Frebault joined a meeting of the Union For Democracy but told RFO public radio that he is yet to make a decision.
"Even though no decision has been taken yet, we have been in contact with our political backers in the Marquesas to give them an update about the current discussions."
Mr Frebault
