René Temeharo

René Temeharo
Temeharo in 2017
Minister of Equipment and Land Transport
In office
24 May 2018 – 15 May 2023
PresidentÉdouard Fritch
Preceded byLuc Faatau
Succeeded byJordy Chan
Minister of Youth and Sports
In office
16 September 2014 – 8 October 2015
Succeeded byNicole Sanquer
Member of the French Polynesian Assembly
for Windward Isles 1
In office
5 May 2013 – 6 May 2018
Personal details
Political partyTahoera'a Huiraatira
Tapura Huiraatira

René Temeharo is a French Polynesian civil servant, politician, and former Cabinet Minister who served in the government of Édouard Fritch.

He first entered the Assembly of French Polynesia in April 2008, replacing Armelle Merceron who had been appointed a Minister.[1] He lost his seat to Merceron following the fall of Gaston Tong Sang's coalition government, but later returned in May 2011 as a replacement for Teva Rohfritsch after he returned to the private sector.[2][3]

In October 2011 he was convicted alongside a number of other Tahoera'a Huiraatira members in the "phantom jobs" case[4] and sentenced to a three month suspended prison sentence and one year deprivation of civil rights.[5] Following an appeal his sentence was nullified in February 2013.[6] In April 2017 he was one of 11 Tahoera'a members ordered to jointly repay US$2.1 million in the case.[7]

He was re-elected to the Assembly at the 2013 French Polynesian legislative election[8] and elected president of the standing committee.[9] In 2014 he was appointed Minister of Youth and Sports, in charge of Relations with the Assembly of French Polynesia and the Economic, Social and Cultural Council in the government of Édouard Fritch,[10] and as a result surrendered his seat in the Assembly.[11] In May 2015 he joined other supporters of Fritch in leaving the Tahoera'a to found the Tapura Huiraatira; as a result on 26 May 2015 he was ejected from the Tahoera'a.[12] In October 2015 he resigned from the executive and returned to the ranks of the Assembly to strengthen Fritch's majority, his substitute being a supporter of Gaston Flosse.[13][14] He was replaced in cabinet by Nicole Sanquer.[15]

He ran as a Tapura candidate in the 2018 election,[16] but was not elected. He was subsequently appointed Minister of Equipment and Land Transport.[17] In September 2020 he was given the Major projects portfolio in a cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Teva Rohfritsch.[18]

In October 2022 he served as the French Polynesian government's delegate to the annual meeting of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization.[19][20]

References

  1. ^ "French Polynesian politician becomes minister but stays with opposition party". RNZ. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  2. ^ "French Polynesia allows sacked ministers back into assembly". RNZ. 2 May 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Teva Rohfritsch démissionne de l'assemblée" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  4. ^ "French Polynesia phantom job case goes to appeal". RNZ. 5 October 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  5. ^ "Flosse condamné à 4 ans de prison ferme dans l'affaire des emplois fictifs" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Affaire des emplois Fictifs : le détail des condamnations en appel" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 7 February 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Top Tahiti politicians ordered to repay diverted funds". RNZ. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  8. ^ "La composition de la nouvelle Assemblée de Polynésie" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 5 May 2013. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013.
  9. ^ "Commissions de l'assemblée: la liste des membres" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Le gouvernement d'Edouard Fritch dévoilé" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Le trombinoscope de la nouvelle Assemblée de Polynésie française" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Au Tahoera'a démission d'office du député J-P Tuaiva et de six ministres en exercice" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  13. ^ "Tahiti reshuffle amid assembly power struggle". RNZ. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  14. ^ "Edouard Fritch annonce la démission de deux de ses ministres" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  15. ^ "New minister chosen in Tahiti shuffle". RNZ. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  16. ^ "Territoriales : le Tapura Huiraatira dévoile ses candidats" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Le nouveau gouvernement Fritch dévoilé" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  18. ^ "Fritch redistribue les cartes" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 17 September 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  19. ^ "Delegates from French Polynesia head to UN decolonisation committee". RNZ. 4 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  20. ^ "René Temeharo ira finalement à l'ONU" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
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