Léontieff had been president of French Polynesia twice, in 1987 and later in 1991.
Once close to another former president, Gaston Flosse, in the pro-French and right-wing camp, he however set up his own party, the Te Tiarama in 1987and managed to get elected president for the first time.
The man Flosse once regarded as a traitor was finally given the post of general manager of French Polynesia’s provident fund, a position he has held since Dec. 2004 and until his death after a long illness.
The current president of French Polynesia, pro-independence leader Oscar Temaru, who is currently on an official trip in France, also paid homage to the late leader, saying he had lost a friend.
Léontieff was the brother of another local politician and party leader, Boris Léontieff, who died in a plane crash in 2003 with most of his party — Fetia Api — executives.
Alexandre Léontieff was also of one the rare local politicians to have partially served a two-year jail sentence for corruption.
His body is scheduled to lie in state at the local legislative assembly.
