Onneyn Tahi

Onneyn Morris Tahi (24 July 1944 – 1998) was a Vanuatuan politician.

Onneyn Tahi
President of Vanuatu
Acting
In office
12 January 1989  30 January 1989
Prime MinisterWalter Lini
Preceded byAti George Sokomanu
Succeeded byFrederick Karlomuana Timakata
Speaker of the Parliament
In office
December 1987  June 1991
Preceded byFrederick Karlomuana Timakata
Succeeded byTele Taun
Personal details
Born(1944-07-24)July 24, 1944
Aoba Island
Died1998
Aoba Island
Political partyVanua'aku Pati
Other political
affiliations
People's Democratic Party

Biography

Tahi was born on 24 July 1944 in the small town of Losingoiburie on Aoba Island. Shortly thereafter, he moved to his father's village Lovuietu, where his father owned a shop, bakery, and copra processing shed. He attended the Tavolala Village School, the Holy Trinity School, and the Aobabalu School.[1]

After some years in civil service, Tahi entered politics in 1979 when he ran for and won a seat on the Aoba Islands Subcommittee. He represented Ambae constituency in Parliament from 1980 to 1995. In 1993, he was given the ministerial portfolio of education and sports.[1] Tahi was Speaker of the Parliament from 1987 to 1991. He briefly served as acting President of Vanuatu in January 1991 after Ati George Sokomanu was removed from Office by the Electoral College due to gross misconduct.[2] Tahi was named Minister of Agriculture in 1991.[3] He began to see some opposition due to a perceived failure to initiate projects in his constituency.[4] He was Minister of Finance in 1992.

In 1994, he was one of the founding members of the People's Democratic Party. He returned to the Vanua'aku Pati in 1997. In the lead up to the 1998 parliamentary elections, Tahi was killed in a car crash.[5]

References

  1. Adomea, Miriam (2016). Black Stone: Onneyn Morris Tahi; an Autobiography. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 149909874X.
  2. Van Trease, Howard (1995). Melanesian Politics: Stael Blong Vanuatu. [email protected]. p. 91. ISBN 0958330042.
  3. Van Trease 1995, p. 157
  4. Van Trease 1995, p. 263
  5. Morgan, Michael (2008). "The Origins and Effects of Party Fragmentation in Vanuatu". In Rich, Roland; Hambly, Luke (eds.). Political Parties in the Pacific Islands. Sydney: The Australian National University Press. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-9213-1376-9.
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