Tāpura Huiraʻatira

Tapura Huiraatira (lit. 'List of the People') is a political party in French Polynesia. It was founded on 20 February 2016 by members of Tahoera'a Huiraatira (French: Rassemblement populaire), a parliamentary coalition in the Assembly of French Polynesia, as well as other smaller parties such as Fetia Api.^[1][2]

List of the People Tapura Huira‘atira
President	Édouard Fritch
Secretary-General	Nicole Bouteau
1st Vice President	Vacant
Founded	2016 (2016)
Headquarters	41 Colette Street, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia, France
Ideology	Liberalism French Polynesian autonomy Anti-independence
Political position	Centre
National affiliation	Renaissance
Regional affiliation	Amui tatou
Colours	Red
National Assembly (French Polynesian seats)	0 / 3
Senate (French Polynesian seats)	1 / 2
Assembly of French Polynesia	16 / 57 [a]
Website
tapurahuiraatira.org
Politics of French Polynesia Political parties Elections

It is chaired by Édouard Fritch, the President of French Polynesia. Its first congress was attended by 8,000 people,^[3] including 38 Polynesian mayors.^[4] Nicole Sanquer was the party's only Member of Parliament^[5] before she left to join A here ia Porinetia.

They wish to maintain political autonomy within the French Republic and continue to grow that relationship while strengthening ties with Oceania, given their geographical position.^[6]

The party won 49 percent of the vote and 38 seats in the 2018 French Polynesian legislative election.^[7] Fritch was re-elected as President of French Polynesia,^[8] while Gaston Tong Sang was elected President of the Assembly.^[9]

In March 2019 the party declared its support for La République En Marche! in the 2019 European Parliament election, resulting in criticism from its National Assembly and Senate members over a lack of consultation.^[10]

In September 2022 Teva Rohfritsch, Nicole Bouteau and Philip Schyle resigned from the party, citing disappointment with Edouard Fritch's government.^[11]

The party submitted its list for the 2023 French Polynesian legislative election on 17 March 2023.^[12] The party came second in the first round, with 30% of the vote.^[13] It subsequently formed a joint list with ʻĀmuitahiraʻa o te Nūnaʻa Māʻohi, the Union of Autonomists Against Independence.^[14]

Creation

In early 2015, 4 members of the Tahoera'a Huiraatira party were excluded from being associated with the party in the upcoming senatorial elections. These were the members of Lana Tetuanui, Nuihau Laurey, Michel Buillard and Teapehu Teahe due to them rebelling from party rhetoric during their time in the assembly. In the 2015 elections, only Nuihau Laurey and Lana Tetuanui were re-elected, however, both were given political support by at-the-time French-Polynesian President and leader of Tahoera'a Huiraatira, Édouard Fritch, as well as the A Tia Porinetia (ATP) coalition.^[15]

In late 2015, a group of members (initially 15, later 20) from Tahoera'a Huiraatira chose to dissent from the party due to conflicts between the former leader, Gaston Flosse, and President Édouard Fritch, as well as the exclusion of party members.^[15][16]

In 2016, an extremely short lived working group was established to support the dissenting former party leader Édouard Fritch called the 'Rassemblement pour une Majorité Autonomiste' (lit. 'Rally for an Autonomous Majority'), which included 20 (later 22) dissenting members of Tahoera'a Huiraatira, 8 members of the 'A Tia Porinetia' (lit. 'The Gathering of Polynesians') coalition, and one former UPLD, Union pour la Démocratie (lit. 'Union for Democracy'), coalition member.^{[2][15][16][17][18]}

Members of 'Rassemblement pour une Majorité Autonomiste', and later members of the Tāpura Huiraʻatira party

Member Name	Political Association	Party Membership	Additional Notes
Édouard Fritch[16]	None	Dissenting members of Tahoera'a Huiraatira	Leader of Tāpura Huiraʻatira[16]
Joseph Ah-Scha
Dylma Aro
Virginia Bunting
Michel Buillard
Felix Faatau
Jacquie Graffe
Beatrix Lucas
Sylvana Puhetini
Maina Sage
Puta'i Taae
Jeanine Tata
Teapehu Teahe
Moehau Teriitahi
Lana Tetuanui
John Toromona
Henri Flohr
Frederic Riveta
Rene Temeharo
Charles Fong Loi
Isabelle Sachet
Jacques Raioha			joined group on 03/23/2016
Rudolph Jordan			joined group on 08/21/2016
Nicole Bouteau	A Tia Porinetia working group	No Oe e Te Nunaa (NOETN)(lit. 'For You and the People')
Emma Maraea		O Porinetia To Tatou Aia(lit. 'My Polynesia, My Roots')
Armelle Merceron		Independent
Antonio Perez		Te Ave'a
Philip Schyle[2]		Fetia Api(lit. 'New Star')
Teura Tarahu-Atuahiva		Independent
Gaston Tong Blood		O Porinetia To Tatou Aia(lit. 'My Polynesia, My Roots')
Ronald Tumahai		O’Hiva (lit. 'The team running for the country')	replacing Teva Rohfritsch[16]
Joelle Rauzy-Frebault	UPLD coalition	?	Left the UPLD coalition to join Tāpura Huiraʻatira[15]

On the 20th of February the official creation of the Tapura Huiraatira party is announced, with the former parties of To Tia Porinetia (ATP), O Porinetia To Tatou Aia, No Oe e Te Nunaa (NOETN), Fetia Api and Te Aveia being dissolved.^{[2][15][16][17]}

Election results

Year	1st round			2nd round			Seats
	Votes	%	Place	Votes	%	Place
2018	53,795	43.04	1st	66,730	49.18	1st	38 / 57
2023	37,880	30.46	2nd				15 / 57

2018 Territorial Elections

Party		First round		Second round		Seats	+/–
		Votes	%	Votes	%
	Tapura Huiraatira	53,795	43.04	66,730	49.18	38	New
	Tahoera'a Huiraatira	36,754	29.41	37,591	27.70	11	–27
	Tavini Huiraatira	25,891	20.71	31,378	23.12	8	–3
	Te Ora Api o Porinetia	4,606	3.69			0	New
	E Reo Manahune	2,503	2.00			0	New
	Popular Republican Union	1,441	1.15			0	New
Total		124,990	100.00	135,699	100.00	57	0
Valid votes		124,990	98.32	135,699	98.34
Invalid/blank votes		2,134	1.68	2,286	1.66
Total votes		127,124	100.00	137,985	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		206,670	61.51	206,496	66.82
Source: Haut-Commissariat

2023 Territorial Elections

Party		First round		Second round		Seats	+/–
		Votes	%	Votes	%
	Tāvini Huiraʻatira	43,401	34.90	64,551	44.32	38	+30
	Tāpura Huiraʻatira	37,880	30.46	56,118	38.53	15	–23
	ʻĀmuitahiraʻa o te Nūnaʻa Māʻohi	14,773	11.88			1	–10
	A here ia Porinetia	18,067	14.53	24,989	17.16	3	New
	Ia Ora te Nuna'a	5,423	4.36			0	New
	Hau Māʻohi	2,458	1.98			0	New
	Heiura-Les Verts	2,373	1.91			0	New
Total		124,375	100.00	145,658	100.00	57	0
Valid votes		124,375	98.50	145,658	98.97
Invalid votes		748	0.59	823	0.56
Blank votes		1,149	0.91	700	0.48
Total votes		126,272	100.00	147,181	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		210,161	60.08	210,385	69.96
Source: Haut-commissaire;[19] (seats)

Notes

1. Includes 1 Amuitahiraʻa MP elected from the Tapura list

References

1. "Fritch due to launch Tahiti party next month". RNZ. 11 January 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
2. "Fetia Api — France Politique". www.france-politique.fr. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
3. "Big turnout for launch of political party in French Polynesia". RNZ. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
4. "Le Tapura Huiraatira est né – polynésie 1ère". polynésie 1ère. Retrieved 17 April 2017. (in French)
5. "Mme Nicole Sanquer – Polynésie Française (2e circonscription) – Assemblée nationale". www2.assemblee-nationale.fr. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
6. "Site Officiel du parti politique polynésien, le Tapura Huiraatira". tapura huiraatira. Retrieved 16 July 2017. (in French)
7. "French Polynesia incumbent wins resounding election victory". RNZ. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
8. "Edouard Fritch is re-elected French Polynesia president". RNZ. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
9. "Tong Sang elected French Polynesia assembly president". RNZ. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
10. "European election unsettles Tahiti's Tapura". RNZ. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
11. "Three former key Tapura members ponder founding new party in Tahiti". RNZ. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
12. "La liste du Tapura déposée et dévoilée" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
13. "Oscar Temaru's Tavini Huiraatira party wins round one of French Polynesia's territorial elections". RNZ. 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
14. "La liste "d'union" entre Fritch et Flosse déposée" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 18 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
15. Boissieu, Laurent. "france-politique.fr". Retrieved 16 July 2023.
16. "Big turnout for launch of political party in French Polynesia". RNZ. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
17. "Teva Rohfritsch : "C'est une page politique du pays qui se tourne"" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 20 February 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
18. "New political group launched ahead of French Polynesia poll". RNZ. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
19. "La nouvelle composition de l'assemblée" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.

External links

• Official website