HE René Reynaldo Harris (November 11, 1947 – July 5, 2008) was President of the Republic of Nauru four times between 1999 and 2004. He was a Member of Parliament from 1977 to 2008.
He was educated at Geelong College in Victoria, Australia. Prior to his election to parliament, Harris worked for the Nauru Phosphate Corporation (NPC) and was the Manager of the Nauru Pacific Line.
He was first elected as an MP for Aiwo in 1977. His first term was qui...
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HE René Reynaldo Harris (November 11, 1947 – July 5, 2008) was President of the Republic of Nauru four times between 1999 and 2004. He was a Member of Parliament from 1977 to 2008.
He was educated at Geelong College in Victoria, Australia. Prior to his election to parliament, Harris worked for the Nauru Phosphate Corporation (NPC) and was the Manager of the Nauru Pacific Line.
He was first elected as an MP for Aiwo in 1977. His first term was quite short though; after seven days he had to resign on court conviction. His second term started in June 1977 in the following by-election and lasted for 31 years. Harris was elected Deputy Speaker of the Parliament in 1978 and Speaker in 1986. In 1992 he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NPC.
In 1998, Harris was convicted of assault and jail-breaking by forcibly freeing three of his relatives from the Nauru Police lock-up with the help of two accomplices. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation television program "Foreign...
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