French Polynesia's ruling party has spoken out against the pro-independence opposition's refusal to endorse Pacific Islands Forum membership.
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Last week, the opposition Tavini Huiraatira abstained from an assembly vote to approve the formal process of French Polynesia acceding to the Forum, which last year made it a full member.
In a statement, the Tapura Huiraatira said the Tavini was jealous of the diplomatic victory of the president Edouard Fritch, while pointing to the Tavini leader Oscar Temaru's stance in the past.
It said Mr Temaru sought Forum membership when he became president in 2005 and last year he confirmed that it had always been a goal.
The Tapura said the basic problem for the Tavini was that this undermined its efforts at the UN where it was working on the decolonisation of French Polynesia.
It added that Forum members had recognised that an autonomous French Polynesia within the French republic was their equal.
In 2013, French Polynesia was reinscribed on the UN decolonisation list which France has dismissed as a glaring interference.