An indirect presidential election was held in French Polynesia on 11 February 2009, after defections from the ruling pro-autonomy faction and a scheduled constructive vote of no confidence planned for 12 February 2009 caused the incumbent Gaston Tong Sang to step down on 7 February 2009. This presidential election was the third in less than a year since the 2008 general election, which had been called by France to promote political stability. There were seven changes of government in French Polynesia since the 2004 general election. The President was chosen by members of the Assembly. Election background Six of the members of President Gaston Tong Sang's governing coalition had quit in the months proceeding the 2009 presidential election, leaving his government open to potential challengers. In January 2009, Tong Sang had opened negotiations with Oscar Temaru to try to create a union government and set the stage for new elections. The negotiations failed to produce any tangible results, and were deemed as a failure. President Tong Sang announced on 7 February 2009, that he would step down ahead of a proposed censure motion against his government by a coalition of pro-separatist parties led by Temaru. Tong Sang's resignation, which he described as "immediate" was widely expected in the French Polynesian media, which characterized the move as a "strategy of resignation". The censure motion proposal against the Tong Sang government was supported by the Union for Democracy (UPLD), Tahoera'a Huiraatira, and Rautahi political parties. Together these parties put Temaru forward as their candidate for president as part of the no confidence measure. Supporters of the censure motion claimed that they could guarantee the support of 31 of the 57 members in the Assembly. Following his announcement of his intent to resign, Tong Sang immediately left Tahiti for Bora Bora, where he also serves as the mayor. Temaru, who also served as the President of the Assembly at the time, accepted Tong Sang's resignation, paving the way for a new presidential election. Election Oscar Temaru appeared likely to be elected President, but shortly before the election, there were reports that the accord between Temaru, Gaston Flosse and Jean Christophe Bouissou had broken up again, calling into question Temaru's chances. Four candidates were nominated: Oscar Temaru, by Tavini Huiraatira and the Union for Democracy Gaston Tong Sang, by O Porinetia To Tatou Ai'a Edouard Fritch, by Tahoera'a Huiraatira Sandra Levy Agami, formerly a