Benjamin Brial (9 June 1923 – 12 November 2004) was a

Wallisian Wallisian, or Uvean ( wls, Fakauvea, links=no), is the Polynesian language spoken on Wallis (island), Wallis Island (also known as Uvea). The language is also known as East Uvean to distinguish it from the related West Uvean language spoken on t ...

politician who represented Wallis and Futuna in the

French National Assembly The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known a ...

from 1967 to 1988 as part of the

Union of Democrats for the Republic The Union for the Defence of the Republic (french: Union pour la défense de la République), after 1968 renamed Union of Democrats for the Republic (french: Union des Démocrates pour la République), commonly abbreviated UDR, was a Gaullist po ...

and then the

Rally for the Republic The Rally for the Republic (french: Rassemblement pour la République ; RPR ), was a Gaullist and conservative political party in France. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic (UDR), it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 a ...

. He was a member of the Brial family, involved in trade and politics in Wallis and Futuna.

Early life

Brial was born in Mata Utu and is from a prominent political family. His father was Julien Brial, a merchant from the

Pyrénées-Orientales Pyrénées-Orientales (; ca, Pirineus Orientals ; oc, Pirenèus Orientals ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean Sea. ...

, and his mother was

Aloisia Brial Aloisia Brial (died 1972) was a queen of Uvea, ruling from 1953 until 1958.Guillaume Lachenal, Le médecin qui voulut être roi. Sur les traces d'une utopie coloniale, Editions du Seuil, 9 février 2017 (ISBN 978-2-02-114258-7 She was preceded b ...

, ''Lavelua'' (queen) of Uvéa from 1954 to 1958. His brothers were Emmanuel-Victor Brial, manager of the Ballande establishments in

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

, and politician

Cyprien Brial Cyprien may refer to: * , a 2009 film with Catherine Deneuve * , a masculine given name * Tropical Storm Cyprien, a short-lived tropical cyclone People * Glynn Cyprien, American basketball coach * Jean-Pierre Cyprien, former French footballer ...

, who served in the

Territorial Assembly of Wallis and Futuna The Territorial Assembly of Wallis and Futuna (French: ''Assemblée Territoriale''; Wallisian and Futunan: ''Fono fakatelituale'') is the legislature of Wallis and Futuna. It consists of 20 members, elected for a five-year term by proportional ...

from 1967 to 1987. He was the uncle of politicians Julien Brial,

Victor Brial Victor Brial (born 9 April 1966) is a Wallisian politician. He represented Wallis and Futuna in the French National Assembly from 1997 to 2007 and was president of the Territorial Assembly of Wallis and Futuna twice, first from 1997 to 1999, and ...

and

Sylvain Brial Sylvain Jacques Brial (born 16 September 1964) is a Wallisian politician and former member of the French National Assembly. Brial is from a prominent political family. His grandmother was Aloisia Brial, ''Lavelua'' (queen) of Uvéa from 1954 to ...

, who succeeded him in politics in Wallis and Futuna at different times, and the great-uncle of New Caledonian politician

Gil Brial Gil Brial (born 25 November 1973) is a politician from New Caledonia who is the leader of the Caledonian People's Movement. Biography Brial was born in New Caledonia in 1973 to a prominent political family. He is of mixed race, maternal Caldoche ...

. In 1933, his father sold his business and moved to Nouméa. During World War II his brothers Victor-Emmanuel and Jean Brial joined the Free French Forces in 1941 from New Caledonia. Brial, still a minor at 19 years old, had his papers falsified and joined the Free French Forces in 1942. He boarded the sloop and joined the Fusiliers marins. In 1953, during the royal succession crisis in Wallis, Benjamin Brial applied for the title of ''Lavelua'', but the administration of New Caledonia refused to allow a French citizen to become customary king. As a result his mother, Aloisia Brial, was chosen to become sovereign.

Political career

Benjamin Brial was MP for Wallis and Futuna from 1967 to 1988. A Gaullist, he was attached to the

, which became the

in 1976. He won the legislative election of 1967 by winning against Hervé Loste. He was re-elected in July 1968 and April 1973. He was re-elected in the first round during the legislative elections of

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

and 1979 against his only competitor from the UDF, Father Petelo Falelavaki. He then became a divisive figure in the politics of Wallis and Futuna, rallying the opposition, including the UDF, against him. In

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

, he retained his seat against the UDF and three other candidates. During the

1986 French legislative election The French legislative elections took place on 16 March 1986 to elect the eighth National Assembly of the Fifth Republic. Contrary to other legislative elections of the Fifth Republic, the electoral system used was that of party-list proportio ...

, the opposition of the UDF was divided between two candidates; the three-way contest allowed Brial to retain his seat as deputy. During the

1988 French legislative election French legislative elections took place on 5 and 12 June 1988, to elect the ninth National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, one month after the re-election of François Mitterrand as President of France. In 1986, the Socialist Party (PS) of Pr ...

he won narrowly over

Kamilo Gata Kamilo Gata (12 December 1949 - 16 November 2004) was a Wallisian politician who represented Wallis and Futuna in the French National Assembly from 1989 to 1997. A lawyer, he left the local Rally for the Republic to found his own party, the People ...

, a former RPR political adviser "disappointed by the immobility of his original party". Due to the fragmentation of the opposition between Gata, UDF candidate

Basile Tui Basile Tui is a politician who was the leader of the Centrist Union group and was the third senator of Wallis and Futuna. Maastricht Treaty Basile opposed of the Maastricht Treaty. Tui was concerned about the freedom of movement of peoples and ...

and the socialist candidate Joseph Maisueche, Brial won the election with 52.18% of the votes in the second round. However, the election result was subsequently overturned by the

Constitutional Council Constitutional Council might refer to: * Constitutional Council (Chad) * Constitutional Council (France) * Constitutional Council (Ivory Coast) * Constitutional Council (Sri Lanka) * Constitutional Council (Cambodia) * Constitutional Council (Kaz ...

. Gata won the subsequent by-election. Brial retired from political life and resigned from his post as territorial councillor. He died in November 2004.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brial, Benjamin 1923 births category:2004 deaths 20th-century French politicians Wallis and Futuna politicians Deputies of the 3rd National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 4th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 5th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 6th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 7th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 8th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 9th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Members of Parliament for Wallis and Futuna