Senator Pouvanaa!

Pouvanaa A Oopa, the 73-year-old former French Polynesian Deputy to the National Assembly, was elected to the post of Senator from French Polynesia in September. He defeated local businessman and Catholic leader Emile Le Caille by a vote of 74 to 34 on the last ballot to win the Pacific territory’s single seat in the French Senate. He is scheduled to serve a nine-year term.

Pouvanaa, as he is known locally, was a major political force in Tahiti between 1949, when he was elected deputy, and 1958 when in October he went to gaol accused of plotting to burn down Papeete with Molotov cocktails and of storing illegal arms at his home. His political supporters claimed afterwards the charges were concocted to remove him from the political arena.

He had been the strongest proponent of NON, in the September, 1958, Constitutional Referendum. OUI, yes, Polynesia would remain French, got almost twice as many votes as NON, no.

In any case, evidence was sufficient for the Criminal Court of French Polynesia to sentence Pouvanaa to eight years in gaol in Octo ber 21, 1959. He was also banished from the territory for 15 years.

He was taken to France.

General de Gaulle pardoned Pouvanaa in 1968 while he was in a French Protestant old people’s home, and he returned to Papeete on November 30, 1968. He was greeted at Faaa International Airport by thousands of well-wishers despite his dawn arrival time.

In 1969, Pouvanaa had his civil rights restored as a result of a Presidential amnesty, and could have run for political office at any time since.

His candidacy came on a coalition ticket of autonomist parties led by Deputy Francis Sanford and Territorial Assembly President John Teariki. His opponent represented the UT-UDR, the local Gaullist party. Incumbent Senator Alfred Poroi chose not to run because it was obvious the electoral college—made up of the auto nomist city councils of Papeete, Faaa and Uturoa, as well as the autonomist assembly—would elect its own candidate.

In a victory speech in the Territory Assembly where the votes for senator were counted, Pouvanaa said he would continue to work with France to improve conditions of life in the territory. His unbitter speech traced his whole political career to his final triumph. He praised French law, but criticised those who carry it out.

John Teariki said Pouvanaa’s victory was the culmination of plans since Pouvanaa’s return. It was significant because it demon strated the continued cohesion of the autonomist Assembly majority coalition with Francis Sanford’s E’a Api Party.