The whole saga started like this:
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/newstories/RANewsStories_1215491.htm
French Polynesia to consider opposition motions
The 57-member French Polynesia Assembly is preparing to consider two motions of censure filed by the opposition.
The motions, filed on Tuesday, are an attempt to topple the government of President Oscar Temaru and return power to former President Gaston Flosse.
A new law approved earlier this year by the French Parliament calls for a simple majority of the Assembly's members to act on the motions.
08/10/2004 09:16:56 | ABC Radio Australia News
Then Temaru is ousted in a vote of no confidence:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11036808%255E1702,00.html
French Polynesia leader ousted
From correspondents in Papeete
October 11, 2004
THE government of French Polynesia's first pro-independence president, Oscar Temaru, has been removed from office after just 15 weeks in power.
Mr Temaru's brief tenure ended dramatically yesterday when the territory's parliament adopted two opposition no-confidence motions by a majority of 29 votes out of 57.
Mr Temaru took power in June, ousting former leader Gaston Flosse, a close ally of French president Jacques Chirac. Temaru's Tavini Huiraatira-led coalition defeated Flosse's Tahoeraa Huiraatira party in elections by just one seat.
The no-confidence motions denounced the "incapacity of the current government to lead the country" and an "accelerated decline in economic conditions".
The two-day debate leading up to the vote was incident-packed, with a knife-wielding attacker lunging at Mr Flosse on Friday.
The attacker, a Polynesian man in his 30s identified as Patrick Mao, was set upon by security guards and arrested.
The debate was frequently interrupted and every speech ended in shouting matches between the two parties.
Before the vote, Mr Temaru demanded the dissolution of parliament and new elections. The president can ask for parliament to be dissolved but such a move must be approved by a council of ministers.
Despite increased support for independence, fueled by France's controversial nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll in the mid-1990s, Mr Flosse worked for the past 20 years to keep the territory under French control.
Mr Temaru was a leading critic of the nuclear testing which ended in 1996.
France annexed the archipelago of 263,000 people in the late 19th century.
A week later 20,000 marched on the streets of Papeete - about 10% of the local population:
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/s1222402.htm
Last Updated 18/10/2004, 19:28:02
More than 20,000 people have taken to the streets of French Polynesia's capital, Pape'ete, to call for the dissolution of a deadlocked parliament and fresh elections.
The march was called in support of Oscar Temaru, whose government was ousted in a motion of no confidence a week ago.
Mr Temaru says he has never seen such support before.
The French Socialist party sent a four-member delegation to support the march, including former government minister, Christian Paul.
Mr Paul has said in recent weeks that there have been acts of "methodical destabilisation" on the part of the French government.
He's calling on the French President, Jacques Chirac, to act "as a referee and not as a partisan", in order to "avoid a period of unrest and confrontation."
Mr Paul says the people of French Polynesia decided in May to trust a new government and that choice should be respected.