list
of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve
as ministers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a
five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the
advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial
Government and the president of the Territorial Assembly are elected by
the members of the assembly

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee
Territoriale (49 seats - changed from 41 seats for May 2001 election;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections:
last held 6 May 2001 (next to be held NA May 2006) note: one seat was
elected to the French Senate on NA September 1998 (next to be held NA
September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party
- NA; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9 June-16
June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - NA election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 29,
Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia 12, The New Star 7,
other 1

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First
Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law
or Tribunal Administratif

Political parties and leaders: Independent Front for the Liberation of
Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a
Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or
RPR (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; The New Star (Te Fetia Api)
[Boris LEONTIEFF]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU,
SPC, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of
France)

Flag description: two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white
band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave
pattern on the lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper
half; a stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern;
the French flag is used for official occasions

Economy French Polynesia

Economy - overview: Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel
in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence economy to
one in which