Democratic Rally of the Tahitian People
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Democratic Rally of the Tahitian People
Rassemblement démocratique des populations tahitiennes |
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| Leader | Pouvanaa a Oopa |
| Founded | November 17, 1949 |
| Dissolved | 1963 |
| Newspaper | Te Aratai |
The Democratic Rally of the Tahitian People (French: Rassemblement démocratique des populations tahitiennes, abbreviated RDPT) was a political party in French Oceania/French Polynesia. The party was led by Pouvanaa a Oopa.
Pouvanaa had been elected to the French National Assembly in 1949. After that victory, the 'Pouvanaa Committee' (formed by his Pouvanaa's supporters for the election campaign) and a group of ex-servicemen founded the RDPT on November 17, 1949. At the time of its foundation, the party proposed various political and social reforms in favour of the Maohi community, such as calling for land reform, expanded access to education and employments in the public sector, strengthened social security. The party sought to increase the powers of the Territorial Assembly, achieving greater autonomy from metropolitan France. RDPT published a bulletin called Te Aratai
The RDPT rapidly became widely popular amongst the Maohis. In particular it attracted support from poor rural populations. Pouvanaa retained his seat in the French National Assembly in the 1951 and 1953 elections. RDPT leaders Dr. Florisson and Jean-Baptise Céran-Jerusalémy became French Senator and French Union assemblyman, respectively. In the 1951 election, Pouvanaa had won with 70% of the votes in French Oceania. The party won the January 18, 1953 Territorial Assembly election, winning 18 out of 25 seats. Notably, Pouvanaa did not get elected from the Papeete seat he contested.
Gradually RDPT was radicalised. It began calling for Tahitian take-over of French- and Chinese-owned businesses, substituting French officials with Tahitians, return of Tahitian lands to Tahitians and substituting the French tricolour with flag used during the reign of Queen Pomare.
However, running the regional government became increasingly difficult for the party. The RDPT sought to build a national economy through the introduction of an income tax scheme, to prepare the islands for independence. The French government had become increasingly bothered by the influence of RDPT, and the local Governor conspire against the RDPT government. Protests against the RDPT government were mobilized by the urban opposition, the Chinese community and in particular the French business community. Moreover rivalry between Pouvanaa and Céran had reached a critical point at the time of the 1958 referendum, and Céran was expelled. Céran's followers founded a rival party, RDPT-Aratai.
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