Mikaele Kulimoetoke
Senator for Wallis and Futuna
Assumed office
30 September 2020
Preceded byRobert Laufoaulu
President of the Territorial Assembly of Wallis and Futuna
In office
26 November 2014 – 26 April 2017
Preceded byPetelo Hanisi
Succeeded byDavid Vergé
Member of the Wallis and Futuna Territorial Assembly
for Hahake
Assumed office
25 March 2012
Personal details
Born17 June 1963
Political partyRally of Democrats, Progressive and Independents

Mikaele Kulimoetoke (born 17 June 1963)[1] is a Wallisian politician and member of the Territorial Assembly of Wallis and Futuna. He was president of the Territorial Assembly of Wallis and Futuna from 2014 to 2017. He has represented Wallis and Futuna in the Senate of France since 2020.

Kulimoetoke is grandson of King Tomasi Kulimoetoke II.[2] Before entering politics he worked as a police officer.[1]

He was first elected to the Territorial Assembly in the 2012 Wallis and Futuna Territorial Assembly election, representing the Hahake District.[3] He was elected vice-president of the assembly.[4] He subsequently ran for the French National Assembly in the 2012 French legislative election,[5] but lost narrowly to David Vergé in the second round. After the election result was annulled, he contested the 2013 by-election, but was defeated by Napole Polutele.[3][6]

In November 2014 he was elected President of the Territorial Assembly of Wallis and Futuna. He was re-elected on 22 December 2015,[7] and held the office for the rest of the Assembly's term. During his term he clashed with Marcel Renouf, the Administrator Superior of Wallis and Futuna, over the budget and the application of some measures, in an effort to have executive power transferred to the President of the Assembly.[8][9]

He was re-elected to the Assembly in the 2017 Wallis and Futuna Territorial Assembly election, coming second in his district,[10][11] but lost the presidency to David Vergé.[12]

He stood for the Senate of France in the 2020 French Senate election, defeating incumbent Robert Laufoaulu in the second round.[13][14] His campaign accounts were invalidated due to irregularities on April 19, 2021, but the Constitutional Council did not cancel his election.[15] As a Senator, he has advocated for the revision of the 1961 statute governing Wallis and Futuna, to vest executive power in the president of the territorial assembly.[16] In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wallis and Futuna, he opposes vaccination.[17]

He was re-elected to the Territorial Assembly in the 2022 Wallis and Futuna Territorial Assembly election.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b "M. Mikaele Kulimoetoke" (in French). Sénat. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  2. ^ "VIDEO. Histoire d'un statut : il y a 60 ans, Wallis et Futuna devenait un territoire d'Outre-mer" (in French). FranceInfo. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Legislatives 2017: match à trois ou quatre?" (in French). FranceInfo. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Nau elected new Wallis and Futuna assembly president". RNZ. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Wallis tops turnout in French polls". RNZ. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Wallis elects Polutele to French National Assembly". RNZ. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Wallis et Futuna : Kulimoetoke réélu à la présidence de l'Assemblée" (in French). Outremers 360. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Le président et le préfet : choc des pouvoirs à Wallis et Futuna" (in French). France Info. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  9. ^ "La question de la représentativité de Wallis et Futuna n'est pas nouvelle" (in French). France Info. 6 October 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  10. ^ "Résultats des élections à Wallis et Futuna: nouveau bouleversement à l'Assemblée territoriale" (in French). France Info. 26 March 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Wallis and Futuna elects new assembly". RNZ. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  12. ^ "Verge elected as new Wallis and Futuna assembly president". RNZ. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  13. ^ Sofia Folautanoa (28 September 2020). "Mikaele Kulimoetoke élu sénateur de Wallis et Futuna" (in French). FranceInfo. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Résultats 2020: 986 Îles Wallis et Futuna". Denate of France. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  15. ^ "Le recours déposé contre le sénateur Mikaele KULIMOETOKE a été rejeté" (in French). France Info. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  16. ^ "INTERVIEW. 60 ans du statut de Wallis et Futuna : Pour Mikaele Kulimoetoke, « il y a des modifications à apporter au statut de 1961 »" (in French). Outremers 360. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Le sénateur Mikaele Kulimoetoke dit "non au vaccin" et souhaite une enquête administrative et judiciaire sur l'introduction de la covid à Wallis et Futuna" (in French). France Info. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  18. ^ "Many new leaders chosen in Wallis and Futuna poll". RNZ. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
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