New Caledonia's anti-independence Future Together Party has elected Harold Martin unopposed as its first party president.
Mr Martin, who is 50, is also the president of the New Caledonian Congress which was formed after the provincial elections in May as well as the mayor of the township of Paita.
The Future Together Party was formally established only a month ago after successfully contesting the May elections which saw the group become the dominant force in the assembly of the southern province, in the Congress and in the territorial government.
Many party members are dissidents of the Rassemblement of veteran leader Jacques Lafleur which lost much of its political influence to the Future Together Party.