Tahitian Leads French Polynesia Elections

Oscar Temaru's Union for Democracy won 25 of the 37 seats up for grabs in the ballot on Sunday, authorities said.

Ten seats went to the party of conservative Gaston Flosse, who is close to French President Jacques Chirac. The last two seats were won by the centrist Alliance for a New Democracy.

The results meant that, with the seats they already held, both Temaru and Flosse's parties each have 27 members in the 57-seat Assembly of French Polynesia. The Alliance has the remaining three seats.

"I am optimistic. I think we are going to win," Temaru said on French Europe-1 radio late Sunday. "This country has lived with corruption and embezzlement for more than 20 years. It is high time for a change."

Temaru's Union for Democracy party had 41.3 percent of votes counted so far, compared with 39.3 percent for Flosses's party.

Islanders hoped the partial election in Tahiti and nearby Moorea would resolve a months-long political crisis that has divided politicians all the way to Paris.

Political tumult has torn the French territory in the South Pacific since May when conservatives -- in power since 1982 -- suffered an unexpected defeat in legislative elections. The narrow loss gave an extra seat in the Assembly of French Polynesia to the pro-independence party.

The elections were then partially annulled by France's Council of State in November, opening the way to Sunday's voting in Tahiti and Moorea. The balloting was to decide 37 of the 57 assembly seats.