Photo: AFP
The election of French Polynesia's two members of the French Senate is being challenged in France's Constitutional Court.
Last month, a 700-strong electoral college - made up mainly of municipal representatives - chose Lana Tetuanui and Teva Rohfritsch for a six-year term.
Eight of the electors and three unsuccessful candidates signed a challenge whose details are yet to be made public.
According to Radio 1, the petitioners said they advised the two newly elected Senators of their move to allow them to respond to the allegations first.
One of the challengers Christian Vernaudon said the election involved a corrupt carrot-and-stick system, adding that it was used by Gaston Flosse and now Edouard Fritch.
A ruling is expected early next year.
The 2014 Senate election in French Polynesia was annulled after the courts found that a march of supporters of the then dominant Tahoeraa Huiraatira to the polling station on election day amounted to undue pressure on the electoral college.
Lana Tetuanui and Nuihau Laurey were chosen in the replacement election in 2015.
In 2014, Flosse was the president and Fritch the vice-president, but the two fell out after Flosse was forced out of office over a corruption conviction.
The two are appealing last year's joint conviction for abusing public funds.
Lana Tetuanui and Teva Rohfritsch (rear row) are part of French Polynesian government delegation at start of their term as Senators Photo: supplied