Legislative elections were held in French Polynesia on 23 May 2004 to elect members of the Assembly. In a surprise result Oscar Temaru's pro-independence progressive coalition formed Government with a one-seat majority in the 57 seat parliament, defeating the conservative party led by Gaston Flosse (see also List of political parties in French Polynesia). On October 8, 2004, the Gaston Flosse led opposition party succeeded in passing a censure motion against the Government. This provoked a political crisis, and controversy about whether the national government of France should use its exceptional power to call for new elections in a local government, in case of a grave political crisis. Timeline 23 May 2004: Elections for the Assembly of French Polynesia (Assemblée de la Polynésie française), the territorial assembly of French Polynesia, held. A progressive coalition led by pro-independence Oscar Temaru wins 26 (27 respectively) seats and forms a coalition with 3 (2 respectively) autonomist members to form a Government with a majority of one (see also List of political parties in French Polynesia). The conservative party led by Gaston Flosse has 28 seats. 10 June 2004: Former President, Gaston Flosse, and his conservative party, Tahoeraa Huiraatira, stayed away from the presidential (Le président de la Polynésie française) election, thus invalidating it, as a three-fifths quorum was required. He subsequently lost one defector to Oscar Temaru. 14 June 2004: Oscar Temaru elected President (Le président de la Polynésie française) (when a simple majority quorum was required), gaining 30 out of 57 votes. 5 October 2004: Two motions of censure tabled in the Assembly of French Polynesia (Assemblée de la Polynésie française). One from Gaston Flosse's Tahoeraa Huiraatira party, and one from a new group, Te Ara, that includes three former members of Flosse’s party. 9 October 2004: A motion of censure tabled by the conservative Tahoeraa Huiraatira, was adopted by 29 votes out of 57. The motion was proposed by opposition leader Gaston Flosse after Oscar Temaru ordered an audit of the previous government, which was led by Gaston Flosse. A second censure motion was not voted upon. 12 October 2004: Tahoeraa Huiraatira, endorses its President, Gaston Flosse, as its official candidate for the Presidency in the French administered territory of French Polynesia (Le président de la Polynésie française). The President of the Assembly of French Polynesia (Le président de l'Assemblée de la Polynésie française), Antony Géros, from Oscar Temaru's coalition government,