And Temaru responded with a hunger strike:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3604472&thesection=news&thesubsection=world
Ousted French Polynesia leader starts hunger strike
27.10.2004
8.30am
PAPEETE, Tahiti - The ousted leader of French Polynesia began a hunger strike on Tuesday to protest against his removal and try to prevent an ally of French President Jacques Chirac from taking office.
Pro-independence leader Oscar Temaru lost a censure vote in the group of 118 Central Pacific islands' parliament on October 9 and the assembly elected Gaston Flosse, a close Chirac ally, as the new head of government last Friday.
Temaru, who advocates loosening French rule after a series of moves that have already greatly increased autonomy, says he is the victim of French political manoeuvres and that he will continue the hunger protest until the people get justice.
Temaru had been in power only four months after the previous government led by Flosse lost an election. Flosse, who has held power for much of the last two decades, led the censure motion after Temaru proposed an audit of the previous government.
Temaru plans to send a delegation to Paris to ask the French government to dissolve French Polynesia's parliament and call a general election, aides said.
The French government dismissed his allegations and said it recognised Flosse's election. But the opposition Socialist Party in Paris said Chirac should bow to Temaru's request for a general election to resolve the crisis.
France retains control of law enforcement, defence and the money supply but has allowed more autonomy in French Polynesia. It is represented by a high commissioner appointed by Paris.
Flosse says he has been legally elected. "Tomorrow I am therefore going to present the ruling party's cabinet list and we are going to start work on Wednesday," Flosse said.
The latet development at French Polynesia is here:
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/s1230074.htm
Last Updated 29/10/2004, 02:37:17
There's still no sign of a resolution of the political standoff in French Polynesia.
Ousted pro-independence leader, Oscar Temaru, and re-elected President, Gaston Flosse, both claim to be the legitimate head of government.
Mr Temaru and his cabinet are refusing to vacate the presidential office and want the French government to dissolve the Polynesian assembly and call fresh elections.
Our correspondent, Isabel Hennequin, says Mr Temaru's minister of lands has now locked the ministry building, leaving about a hundred employees outside.
He says it will remain locked until French President, Jacques Chirac, decides to dissolve the assembly.
Meanwhile, Mr Temaru and his ministers continue a hunger strike to protest Mr Temaru's removal from power.
Mr Flosse's lawyers have gone to court in a bid to evacuate them from the presidential office.
A judgement is expected on Friday.
A delegation of Mr Temaru's coalition is to travel to Paris and Brussels to lobby the French and Belgian leadership.
They hope to meet with Jacques Chirac.
Mr Temaru was ousted in a vote of no-confidence on October 9, after some of his coalition parliamentarians switched to the opposition.
At the weekend, a sitting of the legislative assembly endorsed the return to power of the pro-French Gaston Flosse by a narrow majority.