The RPCR was originally a big tent for a large majority of loyalists, whether they were liberals or close supporters of Jacques Chirac (such as Lafleur).

However, the first cracks in the RPCR appeared in 1995, when Lafleur broke his historical friendship with Chirac to endorse Balladur in the 1995 presidential election in France.

Didier Leroux, the strongman of the local managerial trade union and a close supporter of Jacques Chirac, left the RPCR to found a party named A New Caledonia for All.

In 2005, Lafleur announced his intentions to step down in favour of Pierre Frogier, who represented New Caledonia's 2nd constituency and was a close supporter of the President of the UMP in France, soon-to-be-President Nicolas Sarkozy.

In the 1st constituency, representing the capital city of Nouméa, Gaël Yanno defeated a Kanak nationalist but most notably the incumbent, Jacques Lafleur, who had won the seat since 1986.