French Polynesia's opposition leader, Oscar Temaru, has hit out at the government of Gaston Flosse by likening it to the mafia.
He has also declared a boycott of this week's visit to the assembly in Tahiti of the French overseas territories minister, Victorin Lurel, and announced a demonstration against the mafia.
Mr Temaru has accused Paris of guaranteeing a corrupt system run by convicts - in a reference to Mr Flosse, who in the French sphere is the politician with the largest number of criminal convictions.
This year, he received two lengthy jail sentences for corruption, but none of them is final because they are all under appeal.
In one case, a ruling has been due for months and in another case, the court has decided to put the matter off until after next year's municipal elections.
The French Polynesian presidency has issued a statement in response, saying Mr Temaru's incompetence is only matched by his hatred of France.
It says if the mafia exists it's not where he says it is, but in the shadowy area where Mr Temaru used to run the public's affairs.
