French Polynesia's Tahoeraa Huiraatira party has chosen Teura Iriti as its new leader in the assembly after yesterday's sudden resignation of Marcel Tuihani who is also the president of the assembly.
Mr Tuihani's departure was announced by his father Mate Tuihani who had been the party's treasurer for decades and who also resigned.
Alice Tinorua has been made the new party treasurer.
The Tuihanis reportedly quit over policy differences which included a call by a senior member, Vincent Dubois, for the party to back a pro-independence candidate in next week's election of the French National Assembly.
Teura Iriti of French Polynesia's Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party Photo: AFP
Mr Dubois, who was eliminated in last weekend's first round of voting, was against backing the remaining anti-independence candidate in the electorate.
The party leader Gaston Flosse told Tahiti-info that Marcel Tuihani should vacate the assembly presidency and cede the post to a Tahoeraa politician.
Flosse said according to Mr Tuihani he was the assembly president because of his intelligence, his ability to solve problems and his ability to deliver speeches better than others.
Mr Iriti, who is a former minister, is also a candidate for the French National Assembly.