Milou Ebb Explained

Milou Ebb
Office2:President of the Assembly of French Polynesia
Term Start2:6 April 1995
Term End2:23 May 1996
Predecessor2:Jean Juventin
Successor2:Justin Arapari
Office3:Mayor of Teva I Uta
Term Start3:March 1977
Term End3:2001
Predecessor3:None (position created)
Successor3:Victor Doom
Office4:Minister of Health and Social Affairs
Term Start4:March 1978
Term End4:July 1979
Constituency Am10:Windward Islands
Assembly10:French Polynesian
Term Start10:29 May 1977
Term End10:5 May 2001
Birth Date:27 October 1934[1]
Birth Place:Papeete, French Polynesia
Death Date:13 March 2009
Party:Here Ai'a
Te Aratia o te Nunaa
Tahoera'a Huiraatira

Tinomana Milou Ebb (27 October 1934 — 13 March 2009) was a French Polynesian politician and Cabinet Minister who served as president of the Assembly of French Polynesia from 1995 to 1996 and Mayor of Teva I Uta from 1977 to 2001. He was a member of Here Ai'a. He was the father of politician Valentina Cross.

Ebb was born in Papeetee and grew up in the Leeward Islands before moving to Mataiea to become a farmer.[1] He became involved in business, and was chair of the Marama Nui electricity company. As chair, he commissioned the first hydroelectric power station in Papeari in 1981.[1]

He unsuccessfully contested the 1972 French Polynesian legislative election as a candidate for Here Ai'a.[1] He was elected as mayor of Teva I Uta in March 1977, and later that year was elected to the Assembly of French Polynesia in the 1977 election as a United Front candidate.[1] Following the resignation of Jean Juventin in March 1978 he was appointed to the governing council as Minister of Health and Social Affairs. He resigned from the council in July 1979.[1] He was re-elected at the 1982 election.[1]

Following the death of Here Ai'a leader John Teariki in 1983 Ebb seemed likely to succeed him,[2] but lost the position to Juventin.[1] [3] He subsequently split from the party and founded Te Aratia o te Nunaa.[1] Despite the split, at the 1986 election he ran alongside Juventin as part of the Amuitahira'a No Polynesia coalition, and at the 1991 election as part of the Polynesian Union.[1] A coalition deal with president Gaston Flosse saw Juventin elected president of the Assembly, with Ebb as first vice-president.[1] He rejoined Here Ai'a, but was thrown out of the party in June 1994 when the coalition collapsed.[1] Ebb formed a new party, Te Avei’a Mau, which supported Flosse's government.[1] As a result, he was elected president of the Assembly in April 1995.[1] He was re-elected at the 1996 election, but was the only member from his party.[4] He lost the position of Assembly president, and subsequently joined Tahoera'a Huiraatira.[1]

After suffering a heart attack in December 2000, he was evacuated to New Zealand for medical treatment.[5] He retired from politics in 2001.[1]

Honours

He was made a knight of the Ordre des Palmes académiques and the Ordre national du Mérite.[5]

In 2016 a school in Mataiea was named after him.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1953-1996:Les présidents de l'assemblée . Assemblée de la Polynésie française . fr . 10 June 2023.
  2. News: DEATHS of Islands People . Pacific Islands Monthly . 54 . 12 . 65 . 1 December 1983 . 10 June 2023 . National Library of Australia.
  3. News: Socialist Input On Independence . Pacific Islands Monthly . 55 . 2 . 64 . 1 February 1984 . 10 June 2023 . National Library of Australia.
  4. French Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1996 . Von Strokirch . Karin . The Contemporary Pacific . 9 . 1 . 1997 . 232 . 10 June 2023 .
  5. Web site: Tinomana EBB . Assemblée de la Polynésie française . 10 June 2023.
  6. Web site: Teva i Uta : émotion et joie pour l'inauguration du collège "Tinomana Ebb" . Tahiti Infos . fr . 12 September 2016 . 10 June 2023.