Oscar Temaru

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Oscar Manutahi Temaru (born November 1, 1944, at Faa'a on the island of Tahiti) is the former President of French Polynesia (président de la Polynésie française), a French dependency with broad powers of self-rule).

He first served as the president of French Polynesia (président de la Polynésie française) from June 15, 2004, until his Government lost a no-confidence motion on October 8, 2004. He was the caretaker President for 2 weeks after that, but was forced to give up the presidency until March 2005, when he was reelected after parliamentary by-elections.

He is leader of the five party coalition Union For Democracy, which includes his pro-independence party Tavini Huiraatira (People's Servant Party) and other smaller parties that support autonomy for French Polynesia rather than independence. Those parties unexpectedly defeated supporters of long-time leader Gaston Flosse in the May 2004 parliamentary elections.

On October 8, 2004, his government was censured and ousted by the Parliament, the Assembly of French Polynesia (Assemblée de la Polynésie française) by a vote of 29 to 28. There were calls for the French Government to step in and hold new elections, and allegations by the French Socialist Party that his Government was subject to acts of "methodical destabilisation" on the part of the French government. Gaston Flosse was re-elected President by the Assembly in a simple majority vote on October 22. The President of the Assembly, Antony Géros, cast doubt on the legitimacy of this election saying the vote for President (président de la Polynésie française) should occur on October 25 (see French Polynesia political crisis 2004). As a compromise, by-elections were set for February 13, 2005 for certain seats, which Temaru's coalition won. He was re-elected president (président de la Polynésie française) on March 3, 2005.

Temaru lost a vote of no confidence on 13 December 2006, after months of protests against the high cost of living in French Polynesia. Temaru had lost control of parliament due to defections. Gaston Tong Sang has won the new presidential elections on December 26. [1]

Temaru ran for parliament in the 2007 elections, but failed to win a seat.

On September 14, 2007, Oscar Temaru, 63, was elected president of French Polynesia for the 3rd time in 3 years (with 27 of 44 votes cast in Tahiti assembly). He replaced former President Gaston Tong Sang, who lost a no-confidence vote in the 31 August parliament. ^[1]

Contents 1 Background 2 2007-2008 Presidential Cabinet 3 See also 4 References

[edit] Background

Oscar Temaru was educated in Faa'a and Papeete where he received a thorough religious education.

An early political influence was Jean-Marie Tjibaou, philosopher and former leader of the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), who was assassinated in New Caledonia in 1989.

Temaru entered the French Navy for three years in 1961 and participated in the Algerian War of Independence. On his return to French Polynesia he sat the exam to become a customs officer in Tahiti. In 1983 he retired from this position.

Oscar Temaru has been a vocal campaigner against nuclear testing by France at Moruroa and Fangataufa Atolls since the 1970s. His main power base has been in the poor suburb of Faa'a on the outskirts of the capital Papeete.

In 1977, Oscar Temaru formed his political party, the Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (FLP). The party changed its name in 1983 to [[TĀVINI HUIRA’ATIRA NŌ TE AO MĀ’OHI -FLP[2]]] (People's Servant Party). The same year he was elected mayor of Faa'a, which position he continues to hold (as of 2004).

In 1986, Tavini Huiraatira obtained 2 seats in the territorial assembly, 4 seats in 1991, 11 in 1996, and 13 in 2001. In 2004 the Union for Democracy Coalition won 27 of the 57 seats.

Oscar Temaru's coalition government program in 2004 included the gradual increase of the minimum wage to 150.000 Fcfp, work days that don’t start before 9am, an improvement of social services, political decentralisation, educational reform, and a revision of the new autonomy statute after French Polynesia was declared a French Overseas Country (pays d'outre-mer) in March 2004.

He pledged there would be no immediate moves to independence.

When asked by an Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporter "Most people call this place French Polynesia. What do you call it?" he replied "This is French-occupied Polynesia. That is the truth. This country has been occupied."

[edit] 2007-2008 Presidential Cabinet

Oscar Temaru announced his new presidential cabinet on September 19, 2007, shortly after his election as President of French Polynesia.^[2] The sixteen cabinet members include three women.

• Vice-President; Minister of Finance, Housing, Lands, Outer Island Development, in charge of the reform of French Polynesia's Statute and of the relations with the Legislative Assembly and the Economic Social and Cultural Council, government spokesman: Antony Géros
• Minister for public utilities, land and maritime transport: James Salmon
• Minister for economy, labor, employment and vocational training, Minister for public service: Pierre Frébault
• Minister for education, higher education and research: Jean-Marius Raapoto
• Minister of health, in charge of prevention, food security and traditional medicine: Charles Tetaria
• Minister for agriculture, forestry and livestock: Léon Lichtlé
• Minister for sea, fisheries and aquaculture: Keitapu Maamaatuaiahutapu
• Minister for inter-island maritime and air transports: Dauphin Domingo
• Minister for tourism and air transports: Marc Collins
• Minister for development and environment: Georges Handerson
• Minister for small and medium enterprises, Minister for industry: Gilles Tefaatau
• Minister for posts and telecommunications, culture: Jacqui Drollet
• Minister for the pearl farming sector: Michel Yip
• Minister for solidarity, family affairs and the struggle against social exclusion: Patricia Jennings
• Minister for youth and sports: Tauhiti Nena
• Minister for women's affairs, arts and crafts: Valentina Cross

Political offices
Preceded by Gaston Flosse	President of French Polynesia 2004	Succeeded by Gaston Flosse
Preceded by Gaston Flosse	President of French Polynesia 2005 – 2006	Succeeded by Gaston Tong Sang
Preceded by Gaston Tong Sang	President of French Polynesia 2007 – 2008	Succeeded by Gaston Flosse

[edit] See also

• Politics of French Polynesia
• French Polynesian legislative election, 2004
• List of political parties in French Polynesia

[edit] References

TĀVINI HUIRA’ATIRA NŌ TE AO MĀ’OHI website [3]]]