A referendum on the new constitution of France was held in French Polynesia on 28 September 1958 as part of a wider referendum held across the

French Union The French Union () was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial empire system, colloquially known as the " French Empire" (). It was the formal end of the "indigenous" () status of French subj ...

. The new constitution would see the country become part of the new French Community if accepted, or result in independence if rejected. It was approved by 64.40% of voters.Frankreich, 28. September 1958 : Verfassung
Direct Democracy

Campaign

Some members of the Democratic Rally of the Tahitian People (RDPT), which had been removed from power by the Governor in April 1958, backed a 'no' vote. Government officials restricted campaigning by opponents of the new constitution, and in some outlying islands, voters were unaware that 'no' was an option.Pouvanaa and 22 Others Arrested
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', November 1958, pp19–20

Results

The result saw 64% of voters vote in favour of the constitution. However, ''

Pacific Islands Monthly ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', commonly referred to as "PIM", was a magazine founded in 1930 in Sydney by New Zealand born journalist R.W. Robson. Background ''Pacific Islands Monthly'' was started in Sydney in 1930. The first issue ran in August ...

'' noted that it was thought by some that 'no' would have won had the RDPT been allowed to campaign properly.

Aftermath

Following the referendum, there was civil unrest in Tahiti, with RDPT supporters starting fires with molotov cocktails on 10–11 October. As a result of the violence, RDPT leader

Pouvanaa a Oopa Pouvana'a a O'opa (May 10, 1895 – January 10, 1977) was a Tahitian politician and advocate for French Polynesian independence. He is viewed as the ''metua'' (father) of French Polynesia's independence movement. Pouvanaa served as a Deputy ...

and 22 supporters were arrested. Oopa was subsequently convicted of arson and exiled to France.

References

{{French Polynesian elections 1958 in French Polynesia 1958 referendums September 1958 events in Oceania Referendums in French Polynesia Constitutional referendums French Polynesia