French Polynesia's President Edouard Fritch has decided to send a team to Paris to discuss the sovereignty of the South Pacific islands following his party's defeat at the hand of the pro-independence Tavini Huiraatira party in the parliamentary election.
The team will also approach the United Nations, seeking admission to the list of countries demanding independence under the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
It is the first time the Oscar Manutahi Temaru-led Tavini Huiraatira Party has obtained all three of French Polynesia's parliamentary seats in France, defeating the three candidates of the ruling Tapura Huiraatira.
Fritch has described the election results as "catastrophic," saying the victory of opposition members makes the situation difficult for him to govern smoothly in a time of economic crisis.
Emmanuel Macron's centrist bloc lost its absolute majority in the 577-strong National Assembly.
Temaru, who began the secessionist movement more than four decades back, has asked President Fritch to step down, describing the results as signs of a growing mandate against France.
The pro-independence leader calls the South Pacific islands Maohi Nui, after their indigenous people.
"It's a great, great victory and great happiness for the people for the people of our country," Temaru said, underlining the current set-up under France can not handle the present crisis.
France labeled French Polynesia an "overseas country inside the Republic," where it had conducted over 200 nuclear weapons tests between 1966 and 1996, resulting in cancer cases among civilians and former military personnel.
France controls security, currency, defense, and foreign affairs of the South Pacific islands while bestowing limited powers on the President in dealing with internal matters. French Polynesia comprises more than 100 islands in the South Pacific, which stretch more than 2,000 km.