Eliane Tevahitua

Eliane Tevahitua (born 23 July 1958) is a French Polynesian politician and Cabinet Minister who is currently vice-president of French Polynesia. She is a member of Tavini Huiraatira.

Tevahitua was born in Papeete and worked as a midwife. From 1994 to 2013 she was director of the School of Midwives.[1] In 2008 she graduated from the University of French Polynesia with a doctorate in Polynesian civilisation.[1] Her thesis was on the toponymy of the lands of Fa 'a'ä and Tahitian land representations.[1] She then worked as secretary of the Union of French-speaking women of Oceania (UFFO).[2]

She was elected to the Assembly of French Polynesia on the Union For Democracy (UPLD) list at the 2013 French Polynesian legislative election.[3] In the Assembly she served on the Permanent Commission, and the Budget and Finance Committee.[4] She was an advocate for nuclear-test victims, forcing the government to disclose more information on the health toll of French fallout.[5][6] She was re-elected at the 2018 election as a Tavini candidate.[7][8] In 2020 she opposed French immigration to Polynesia, calling it colonialist.[9] During the Covid-19 pandemic she denounced the government response as inadequate, and called for the introduction of mass-testing to protect the population.[10][11] She later urged the use of Chinese or Russian vaccines rather than waiting for France to supply them.[12]

She was not included in Tavini's final list for the 2023 election.[13] Following the Tāvini's election win she was appointed vice-president and Minister of Culture and the Environment in Moetai Brotherson's new cabinet.[14][15]