Pouvanaa A Oopa's
p. 25 · Read in the full issue
Son For Paris
In a general election in French Polynesia at the end of June, Marcel Oopa, son of the former Deputy, Pouvanaa a Oopa, was elected to represent French Poly nesia in the French Chamber of Deputies—a result regarded as embarrassing for the French Ad ministration. riIHE voting was 10,081 for Marcel A Oopa, who represented the RDPT (Rassemblement des Populations Tahitiennes) which is Leftist and Nationalist; about 8,000 for the candidate of the Union Democratique Tahitienne, which is pro-de Gaulle and associated with the party in power in France (United Nouvelle Republique); and about 3,000 for other candidates who attracted votes which, otherwise, might have gone to the UNR and defeated Oopa.
The vote for Oopa is regarded as against France and for Tahitian nationalism.
Strong Feeling For Oopa Snr.
Pouvanaa a Oopa was for some years a very prominent figure in French Polynesia. Finally, he be came Deputy for that Territory and his party attained a dominant place in the local Assembly in 1958-59, and he was placed at the head of the local government. His party thereupon introduced income taxa tion, and a Tahiti-for-the-Tahitians policy.
This led to local rioting, inter vention by the Governor, and dethronement of the Oopa admini stration.
Several months later, there was a startling development, when a group closely associated with Oopa tried to set Papeete afire one night, using “Molotov cocktails” (bottles of petrol). Oopa was arrested and, after very lengthy delay, was sentenced in 1959 to eight years’ imprisonment and banishment from Papeete for 15 years.
Oopa had many friends in Poly nesia, and the French evidently saw danger in his continued presence there. One night, he was taken from the gaol at Papeete, placed aboard a small French war ship, and transferred to an overseas liner. He was taken to some country overseas presumably France—where he now is serving his sentence.
Among the people who sup ported Oopa were a number who maintained that he was “framed”.
The vote suggests that a certain amount of strong feeling still exists regarding Oopa and his fate.