French Polynesia president Edouard Fritch in Paris Photo: supplied
A court in French Polynesia has thrown out a bid by the president Edouard Fritch, to dislodge his predecessor, Gaston Flosse, from the leadership of the Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party.
Mr Fritch had argued that Flosse was ineligible to be a party leader because of his criminal conviction.
Last year, Flosse lost his rights to hold office or to vote for three years when he was given a suspended four-year jail sentence and a large fine for corruption.
The court however ruled that a conviction cannot stop an individual from being the head of an association or a party.
Mr Fritch also says Flosse has stayed in his leadership position despite a party rule which says a party member must be on the electoral roll.
Flosse has welcomed the ruling while Mr Fritch says it is now clear that you can lead an association without having any civic rights.