The president of the French Polynesian government, Gaston Flosse, has asked young followers of his party to be prepared for a possible early parliamentary election.
Polls are not due until 2006 but Mr Flosse says territorial elections for a new assembly could be called next year.
Mr Flosse made the comment in Papeete at the conference of the youth movement of his Tahoeraa Huiraatira party, which was attended by 5-thousand supporters.
He says the opposition keeps calling for the dissolution of the assembly and the French president may act accordingly once a new autonomy statute for French Polynesia has been adopted.
Mr Flosse says the youth meeting is significant as young people aspire to take on responsibility in a territory where half the population is under 25 years of age.
This comes a week after he appointed 28-year-old Teva Rohfritsch as the new tourism minister.
