the Assembly inaugural sitting of the new 2008 legislative assembly following the political deal. Fritch was re-elected with a total of 36 votes while pro-independence candidate Antony Géros came in second with 21 votes. He served as Speaker for only two months under Gaston Flosse in 2008 until Gaston Tong Sang was elected president in April 2008. 2009 French Polynesian presidential election Fritch stood as a candidate for President of French Polynesia for the Tahoera'a Huiraatira party in the 2009 French Polynesian presidential election. However, he failed to garner enough votes, coming in third place to Oscar Temaru. Fritch was once again elected as the President of the Assembly of French Polynesia on February 12, 2009. His election as Speaker was part of the coalition agreement which allowed Oscar Temaru to be elected president the day before. Fritch was elected with the support of 38 of the 57 members of the Assembly. On April 9, 2009, a second election was held for President of the Assembly following a reshuffling of the government. Former President Gaston Tong Sang had moved to join the ruling coalition of President Oscar Temaru. Fritch initially resisted calls for a new election, saying that his position was necessary for the current April 9 Assembly session. However, a new election was held following legal advice from the French Council of State in Paris. Fritch was defeated by Philip Schyle in the election on Thursday morning, April 9, 2009. Schyle, a member of the O Porinetia To Tatou Ai'a, received 40 votes, while Fritch garnered obtained just 14 votes. One Assembly member did not vote and there were two blank ballots. Schyle immediately became the new Speaker. In a speech following his ouster as President, Fritch expressed "disappointment" that the UPLD-Tahoeraa political alliance was in trouble. He called the timing of the election unfortunate "in a time of economic crisis." He also accused the new alliance between President Temaru and former President Gaston Tong Sang as being inspired by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. On 1 March 2011 he was sacked as Vice-President from the Cabinet of Gaston Tong Sang for failing to support the budget. 2012 French legislative election Fritch was elected on 16 June 2012 as member of the National Assembly of France in the 1st constituency of French Polynesia. He seated in the Union for Democrats and Independents group in the National Assembly, chaired by former