French Polynesia's pro-independence Party has proposed a federal system of government.
The plan, which was disclosed after a weekend congress in Tahiti, aims to create a number of regional governments with broad powers.
Walter Zweifel reports.
"The Tavini Huiraatira vision is to set up a federal government with overarching powers in matters such as foreign affairs and money, similar to the ones now held by France. The party says such an arrangement assumes that French Polynesia has become independent in line with the UN decolonisation process, which is fiercely opposed by the government in Tahiti. In May, the territory's assembly formally asked France to hold a referendum as soon as possible to bury the independence question once and for all, but Paris has so far refused to act. Defying the UN, the French Polynesian government has said it would only allow France to organise such a vote."
