Hirohiti Tefaarere

{{Short description|French Polynesian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}

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|name = Hirohiti Tefaarere

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|office2 = Minister of small enterprise, industry and mining

|term_start2 = 19 September 2005

|term_end2 = 31 March 2006

|president2 = Oscar Temaru

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|office3 = President of the Assembly of French Polynesia

|president3 =

|term_start3 = 16 November 2004

|term_end3 = 14 April 2005

|predecessor3 = Antony Géros

|successor3 = Antony Géros

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|birth_date = 19 June 1954{{cite web |url=http://www.bayefsky.com/html/101_francecat033.php |title=Le Gayic et al. v. France: Communication No. 46/1996 |publisher=Committee Against Torture |date=9 May 1997 |access-date=2 May 2023}}

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|party = Union for Democracy
Aia Api

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Hirohiti Tefaarere (born 19 June 1954) is a French Polynesian anti-nuclear activist, trade unionist, politician and former Cabinet Minister who served as President of the Assembly of French Polynesia from 2004 to 2005. He was a member of Aia Api and the Union for Democracy. In 2019 he was elected president of anti-nuclear organisation Mururoa e Tatou.

Tefaarere worked for the Direction centrale des renseignements généraux, a police intelligence agency, before becoming general secretary of the A Tia I Mua union.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-342944228/view?sectionId=nla.obj-345814280 |title=FRENCH POLYNESIA Losing the Battles |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=61 |issue=8 |page=10 |date=1 August 1991 |access-date=3 June 2023 |via=National Library of Australia}} While still on the payroll of the French Interior Ministry he organised blockades in Papeete against the government of Gaston Flosse.{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/228011149 |title=Affrontements en Polynésie |work=Le Courrier Australien |language=fr |page=22 |date=10 August 1991 |access-date=3 June 2023 |via=National Library of Australia}} In 1995 he led further riots against the resumption of French nuclear testing. He was arrested along with 15 members of his union, jailed,{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227371710 |title=TAHITI SORT DE SON CAUCHEMAR |work=Le Courrier Australien |language=fr |page=25 |date=10 August 1995 |access-date=3 June 2023 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/127280647 |title=Thousands join N-bomb protest through Paris |work=Canberra Times |page=15 |date=13 September 1995 |access-date=3 June 2023 |via=National Library of Australia}} and tortured by French police. He was later president of the O Oe To Oe Rima union.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/151634/hotel-union-workers-in-french-polynesia-go-on-strike |title=Hotel union workers in French Polynesia go on strike |publisher=RNZ |date=10 November 2004 |access-date=3 June 2023}}

In late 2004, during the presidency of Oscar Temaru, he led a group of Union for Democracy MPs who challenged Temaru, delaying the budget{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/150443/walkout-halts-french-polynesia-assembly-budget-debate |title=Walkout halts French Polynesia Assembly budget debate |publisher=RNZ |date=1 September 2004 |access-date=3 June 2023}} and boycotting the Assembly in an effort to gain ministerial positions.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/150757/french-polynesia-government-faces-crisis |title=French Polynesia government faces crisis |publisher=RNZ |date=17 September 2004 |access-date=3 June 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/151771/ex-speaker-in-french-polynesia-questions-paris-crisis-meeting |title=Members of French Polynesian Assembly question allocation of ministries |publisher=RNZ |date=24 September 2004 |access-date=3 June 2023}} Following the annulment of the 2004 election in the Windward isles in November 2004, Assembly President Antony Géros lost his seat, and Tefaarere was elected president of the Assembly.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/151771/ex-speaker-in-french-polynesia-questions-paris-crisis-meeting |title=Ex-speaker in French Polynesia questions Paris crisis meeting |publisher=RNZ |date=18 November 2004 |access-date=3 June 2023}} Géros was re-elected in the resulting by-election, and most Union for Democracy MPs supported him as their candidate for Speaker.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/154469/french-polynesia's-ruling-party-split-on-speaker-candidacy |title=French Polynesia's ruling party split on speaker candidacy |publisher=RNZ |date=14 April 2005 |access-date=3 June 2023}} Tefaarere ran against Géros, forcing the election into a second round of voting.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/154500/french-polynesian-assembly-to-hold-second-round-of-voting |title=French Polynesian assembly to hold second round of voting |publisher=RNZ |date=15 April 2005 |access-date=3 June 2023}} Géros was successful in the second round, ousting Tefaarere as Assembly President.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/154502/french-polynesian-assembly-elects-geros-as-speaker |title=French Polynesian assembly elects Geros as speaker |publisher=RNZ |date=15 April 2005 |access-date=3 June 2023}} In September 2005 he was made Minister of small enterprise, industry and mining.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/157562/french-polynesian-president-creates-ministerial-post-for-cousin |title=French Polynesian President creates ministerial post for cousin |publisher=RNZ |date=19 September 2005 |access-date=3 June 2023}} He resigned from the post in March 2006.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/161179/french-polynesian-minister-tefaarere-resigns |title=French Polynesian minister Tefaarere resigns |publisher=RNZ |date=31 March 2006 |access-date=3 June 2023}} Temaru refused to acknowledge his resignation in an effort to keep his replacement, Lela Temauri, in the Assembly for an upcoming vote,{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/161358/french-court-ruling-has-potential-to-bring-down-government-in-french-polynesia |title=French court ruling has potential to bring down government in French Polynesia |publisher=RNZ |date=10 April 2006 |access-date=3 June 2023}} but the delay was found to be unreasonable by the courts, and Tefaarere re-entered the Assembly.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/161407/french-court-ruling-changes-numbers-for-french-polynesia-vote-on-new-assembly-president |title=French court ruling changes numbers for French Polynesia vote on new assembly president |publisher=RNZ |date=12 April 2006 |access-date=3 June 2023}}

He was re-elected in the 2008 election, and left the Aia Api party. Following the formation of Gaston Flosse's government, he was the To Tatou Aia candidate for Assembly President, but lost to Temaru, 27 votes to 28.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/175751/oscar-temaru-elected-president-of-french-polynesia-assembly |title=Oscar Temaru elected President of French Polynesia Assembly |publisher=RNZ |date=1 March 2008 |access-date=3 June 2023}} In August 2008 he formed the A rohi party.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/178769/tefaarere-launches-new-party-in-french-polynesia |title=Tefaarere launches new party in French Polynesia |publisher=RNZ |date=14 August 2008 |access-date=3 June 2023}} He was subsequently made president of SETIL, the company in charge of French Polynesia's airports.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/179019/french-polynesian-government-meets-amid-demand-for-reshuffle |title=French Polynesian government meets amid demand for reshuffle |publisher=RNZ |date=28 August 2008 |access-date=3 June 2023}} He lost his seat in the 2013 election.{{cite web |url=https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Assemblee-de-Polynesie-un-paysage-politique-considerablement-remanie_a73602.html |title=Assemblée de Polynésie : un paysage politique considérablement remanié |publisher=Tahiti Infos |language=fr |date=6 May 2013 |access-date=3 June 2023}}

In January 2009 he was summoned for questioning for abuse of public funds as part of the OPT scandal. He subsequently accused the court of being politicised and corrupted by Freemasons.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/181576/french-polynesian-assembly-member-attacks-judiciary |title=French Polynesian assembly member attacks judiciary |publisher=RNZ |date=23 January 2009 |access-date=3 June 2023}} In January 2011 he was convicted of abuse of funds and fined US$22,000 and barred from office for two years.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/194894/12-people-sentenced-in-french-polynesia-opt-case |title=12 people sentenced in French Polynesia OPT case |publisher=RNZ |date=19 January 2011 |access-date=3 June 2023}} The conviction was overturned on appeal in June 2011.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/197941/french-polynesia-appeal-court-upholds-vernaudon's-prison-sentence |title=French Polynesia appeal court upholds Vernaudon's prison sentence |publisher=RNZ |date=24 June 2011 |access-date=3 June 2023}} In August 2012 he was fined US$1000 for contempt of court for threatening a judge investigating his management of SETIL.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/206729/contempt-of-court-fine-for-tahiti's-tefaarere |title=Contempt of court fine for Tahiti's Tefaarere |publisher=RNZ |date=22 August 2012 |access-date=3 June 2023}} In July 2015 he was convicted of attempted embezzlement of public funds while managing SETIL, and sentenced to three years imprisonment, with two suspended, and fined XPF1,000,000.{{cite web |url=https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Affaire-Setil-aeroport-un-an-de-prison-pour-Hiro-Tefaarere_a131605.html |title=Affaire Sétil-aéroport : un an de prison pour Hiro Tefaarere |publisher=Tahiti Infos |language=fr |date=7 July 2015 |access-date=3 June 2023}} The conviction was upheld on appeal in June 2016, but the sentence reduced to two years suspended.{{cite web |url=https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Hiro-Tefaarere-condamne-en-appel-dans-l-affaire-de-la-Setil-Aeroport_a149946.html |title=Hiro Tefaarere condamné en appel dans l’affaire de la Sétil-Aéroport |publisher=Tahiti Infos |language=fr |date=15 June 2016 |access-date=3 June 2023}}

In October 2019 he was elected president of anti-nuclear organisation Mururoa e Tatou.{{cite web |url=https://www.tntv.pf/tntvnews/polynesie/societe/nucleaire-hirohiti-tefaarere-nouveau-president-de-moruroa-e-tatou/ |title=Nucléaire : Hirohiti Tefaarere, nouveau président de Moruroa e Tatou |publisher=TNTV News |language=fr |date=16 October 2019 |access-date=3 June 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/401278/french-polynesia-s-nuclear-test-veterans-elect-new-leader |title=French Polynesia's nuclear test veterans elect new leader |publisher=RNZ |date=18 October 2019 |access-date=9 January 2023}}