The French president Emmanuel Macron has secured the endorsement of 91 special electors in French Polynesia to help register as a candidate in next month's presidential election.

He made his official re-election bid on Thursday.

To run for the highest office in France, a candidate must have the support of at least 500 special electors out of the country's 42,000 office holders, who include parliamentarians and mayors.

As the nomination period is about to close, Mr Macron has secured 91 backers in French Polynesia where in 2017 he had none.

In New Caledonia, Mr Macron has the backing of 21 such electors, while the centre-right candidate of the Republicans Valerie Pecresse has 14.

The left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has secured six while the right-wing politicians Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour have one each.

In the 2017 election, Mr Macron won the run-off round against Marine Le Pen in both French Polynesia and New Caledonia but had less support than her in the anti-independence stronghold around Noumea.