Statute of Wallis and Futuna (1961)
The political organization of these societies underwent significant changes due to conflicts and external invasions, particularly in Wallis, which was conquered by Tongans who introduced their chiefdom system.
[6] Father Pierre Bataillon authored Wallis's first written code of laws (Tohi Fono o Uvea),[7] adopted on June 20, 1870.
The Marists sought to end power struggles among chiefs and stabilize the political situation while strictly controlling the population's moral conduct.
The Americans constructed substantial infrastructure, introduced consumerism to the local population, and provided considerable purchasing power, thereby undermining the customary chiefs’ authority.
Following the departure of the Americans, an economic crisis ensued, political instability grew (with three kings succeeding one another in Wallis between 1945 and 1950), and the population increased.
Lavelua Kapeliele Tufele III proposed the revival of the 1870 Wallisian constitution, written by Bishop Pierre Bataillon, and emphasized Christianity.
[9] In a joint initiative spearheaded by Resident Fauché and Futuna delegate Camille Gloannec, the three customary kings formally petitioned French president Charles de Gaulle on June 27, 1959, to transform the protectorate into an overseas territory.
[12] In October 1959, Bishop Alexandre Poncet drafted an initial bill that proposed the incorporation of the clergy into government institutions and the subordination of the chiefs to the authority of the territorial administration.
As posited by anthropologist Sophie Chave-Dartoen, the institutional configuration established in 1961 for Wallis and Futuna constituted these archipelagos as a territory with intricate relations with the state and administration.
[13] The 1961 law was initially drafted in a deliberately vague manner to allow for legislative evolution, with the intention that administrative powers would gradually expand over time.
The underlying concept was to gradually transfer responsibilities from vaguely defined customary authorities to a territorial assembly with reinforced mandates and powers.
