The leader of French Polynesia's Union For Democracy says it lost yesterday's territorial election because of the economic crisis.
Oscar Temaru's party won just under 30 percent of the vote while the rival Tahoeraa Huiraatira came first with 45 percent support, which under the new electoral system gives it twice as many seats as all opposition parties combined.
Mr Temaru also campaigned for the territory's decolonisation, but he says it's easy to explain why his party lost.
"We have been living in this country with France's financial support and [with] the international recession, economic recession, it was a very hard decision to manage this country. And the opposition has hammered on that."
The leader of French Polynesia's Union For Democracy, Oscar Temaru, says his party is considering working together with the other opposition party, the A Tia Porinetia.
