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Jope Seniloli
''Ratu'' Jope Naucabalavu Seniloli (14 June 1939 – 28 June 2015) was a Fijian chief who held the title of Turaga Taukei Naua and who served as Fiji's vice-president from 25 March 2001 to 29 November 2004, when he was forced to resign following his conviction for treason on 6 August 2004, and the rejection of his appeal early in November. Appointment and subsequent trial Seniloli was appointed vice-president in 2000 as an apparent gesture of appeasement towards the supporters of the 2000 coup which deposed the lawfully elected government of President ''Ratu Sir'' Kamisese Mara and Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry. The 6 August 2004 verdict found Seniloli guilty of unlawfully proclaiming himself President during the coup, and of illegally swearing in cabinet ministers, including George Speight, the chief instigator of the coup, as Prime Minister. Seniloli's lawyer, Mehboob Raza, maintained that he had done so only "under duress," at gunpoint, a defence rejected by High Cour ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ratu
''Ratu'' () is an Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, ''adi'' (pronounced ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language, the title ''ratu'' is also the traditional honorific title to refer to the ruling king or queen in Javanese culture (though it has since been used in modern contexts to refer to queen regnants of any nation, e.g. "Ratu Elizabeth II"). Thus in Java, a royal palace is called "''keraton''", constructed from the circumfix ''ke- -an'' and ''Ratu'', to describe the residence of the ratu. Etymology ''Ra'' is a prefix in many titles (''ramasi, ramalo, rasau, ravunisa, ratu''), and ''tu'' means simply "chief". The formal use of "ratu" as a title in a name (as in "Sir" in British tradition) was not introduced until after the cession of 1874. Until then, a chief would be known only by his birth name and his area-specific traditional title. Regional variations include ''ro'' in Rewa and parts of Naitasiri and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rakuita Vakalalabure
Ratu Rakuita Saurara Vakalalabure (born 1962) is a Fijian lawyer and former politician. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 and following the elections after the 2000 political upheavals was a candidate of the Conservative Alliance (CAMV). He was re-elected to the House of Representatives, winning the Cakaudrove West Fijian Communal Constituency in the parliamentary election of 2001, following in the footsteps of his father, Ratu Tevita Vakalalabure, who claimed to hold the chiefly title of Vunivalu (Paramount Chief) of Natewa, in Cakaudrove Province, and who served in both houses of Parliament from the 1970s to the 1990s. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, but on 5 August 2004, he was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for his role in the Fiji coup of 2000, however the sentence was successfully reduced on appeal. Education and early career Vakalalabure studied at the University of the South Pacific ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Josefa Iloilo
Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda, (29 December 1920 – 6 February 2011) was a Fijian politician who served as the 3rd President of Fiji from 2000 until 2009, excluding a brief period from 5 December 2006 to 4 January 2007 (see below). He held the traditional title of ''Tui Vuda'', the paramount chief of the Vuda district in Ba Province on Fiji's northwest coast. Like many Fijian people, he rarely used his surname and was known simply as Josefa Iloilo. He announced on 28 July 2009 that he would be leaving office on 30 July. At the age of 88, he was the world's oldest head of state. On 5 December 2006, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, seized power in a coup d'état and assumed presidential powers. This followed failed attempts on Iloilo's part to mediate a solution to the long-running impasse between the military and the government of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. However, his powers were restored by Bainimarama on 4 Janua ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1997 Constitution Of Fiji
The 1997 Constitution of Fiji was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009 when President Josefa Iloilo purported to abrogate it. It was also suspended for a period following the 2000 ''coup d'état'' led by George Speight. Background The Constitution of the Republic of the Fiji Islands dates from 1997. It is Fiji's third Constitution. The first, adopted in 1970 upon independence, was abrogated following two military coups in 1987. A second constitution was adopted in 1990. Its discriminatory provisions, which reserved the office of Prime Minister and a built-in majority in the House of Representatives for indigenous Fijians (although they were at that time a minority of the population) proved very unpopular with the Indo-Fijian community, which comprised almost half the country's population, and in the mid 1990s the government agreed that it should be rewritten. Constitutional process In 1995, President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara appointed a three-m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase (pronounced ; 4 February 1941 – 21 April 2020) was a Fijian politician. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase joined the Interim Military Government as a financial adviser on 9 June 2000, until his appointment as Prime Minister on 4 July. He won two parliamentary elections, but a military coup removed him from power on 5 December 2006. He was later imprisoned on corruption charges brought by the military-backed regime. A native of Vanua Balavu Island in the Lau archipelago, he was one of many Lauans to have held top leadership positions in Fiji. Early and personal life Qarase was born in 1941 into the Tota clan in Mavana on Vanua Balavu, the son of Josateki Mate of Mavana village. After attending local schools, he enrolled at Suva Boys Grammar School. Following his education at Suva Boys Grammar School, Qarase left Fiji in 1959 and went on to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joji Kotobalavu
Jioji Kotobalavu was Fiji civil servant. He was the Chief Executive Officer in the Prime Minister's office, (CEO PMO) but was dismissed on 7 December 2006 by the military junta which had seized power on 5 December. He received his formal notice of dismissal on 13 December. Kotobalavu was a career civil servant who once served as Fiji's ambassador to Japan in the late 1970s. He left the Civil Service briefly to head SOPASouth Pacific Geoscience Commission As part of his duties in managing the operations of the Prime Minister's office, he was required to make statements on policy matters. Since public policy is often put under the spot light of public scrutiny, the CEO PMO was regularly required to make statements to defend or clarify government's stand on certain policies. Kotobalavu's outspokenness occasionally caused trouble for him. On 23 September 2005, he was made to apologise to the High Court for making statements defending the Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, against ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frank Bainimarama
Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama (Fijian: ʃoˈsɛia βoˈreŋɡe mbɛiniˈmarama born 27 April 1954) is a Fijian politician and former naval officer who served as the prime minister of Fiji from 2007 until 2022. A member of the FijiFirst party, which he founded in 2014, he began his career as an officer in the Fijian navy and commander of the Fijian military. He has been serving as the opposition leader since 24 December 2022. Bainimarama attended Marist Brothers High School, the Asian Institute of Technology and Dalhousie University. He joined the Fijian Navy in 1975 and rose through the ranks, becoming an Able Seaman and a Midshipman in 1976, an Ensign in 1977 and later promoted to a sub-lieutenant at the end of that year. He was promoted to lieutenant-commander in 1986 and became a commander in 1988. He later became captain in 1991. In 1997, Bainimarama was appointed Chief of Staff of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. In 1998, he was promoted to a Commodore and l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neumi Leweni
Neumi Leweni (born 1957) is a Fijian Army officer and diplomat, who holds the rank of lieutenant colonel. He hails from the Lau Islands. He joined the Military in 1974 and by 2006 was one of two official spokesmen for the Military, the other being Lieutenant Colonel Orisi Rabukawaqa. In August 2007, he resigned to take up a diplomatic post, as Military attaché to China but has since rejoined the Military and returned from his diplomatic posting to serve with the RFMF. Like other senior Military officers, Leweni was particularly outspoken in his opposition to certain policies and decisions of the Qarase government, including the early release from prison of persons convicted of offences relating to the Fiji coup of 2000. He also took a vocal stand against the controversial Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill, which proposed to establish a Commission to compensate victims and pardon perpetrators of the coup. This, said Leweni, would undermine the rule of law and the i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Republic Of Fiji Military Forces
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF, formerly the Royal Fiji Military Forces) is the military force of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of about 4,000 active soldiers and approximately 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. The Ground Force is organised into six infantry and one engineer battalions. The first two regular battalions of the Fiji Infantry Regiment are traditionally stationed overseas on peacekeeping duties; the 1st Battalion has been posted to Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and East Timor under the command of the UN, while the 2nd Battalion is stationed in Sinai with the MFO. Peacekeepers income represents an important source of income for Fiji. The 3rd Battalion is stationed in the capital, Suva, and the remaining three are spread throughout the islands. Organisation * Commander-in-Chief – The President of the Republic is ex officio Commander-in-Chief of the Military Forces. * Commander RFMF – The Comma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Citizens Constitutional Forum
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and the conditions under which that status will be withdrawn. Recognition by a state as a citizen generally carries with it recognition of civil, political, and social rights which are not afforded to non-citizens. In general, the basic rights normally regarded as arising from citizenship are the right to a passport, the right to leave and return to the country/ies of citizenship, the right to live in that country, and to work there. Some countries permit their citizens to have multiple citizenships, while others insist on exclusive allegiance. Determining factors A person can be recognized or granted citizenship on a number of bases. Usually, citizenship based on circumstances of birth is automatic, but an application may be required. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akuila Yabaki
Akuila Yabaki is a Fijian human rights activist and Methodist Church, Methodist clergyman. He is currently the Executive Director of the Citizens Constitutional Forum (Fiji), Citizens Constitutional Forum, a pro-democracy organization. Yabaki was a strong critic of some policies and decisions of the Laisenia Qarase, Qarase government of 2000 to 2006, including the early release from prison of persons convicted on charges related to the 2000 Fijian coup d'état, Fiji coup of 2000, and opposed Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill, controversial legislation seeking to establish a Commission empowered to propose amnesty for such persons. Coup of 2006 While most opponents of the Qarase government were, at the most, muted in their criticism of the 2006 Fijian coup d'état, military coup of 5 December 2006, Yabaki strongly opposed both the coup itself and the actions of the Military in the leadup to it. Before the coup took place, Fiji Village said on 28 November that he had ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jokapeci Koroi
Jokapeci Talei Koroi (1932 – 12 July 2011) was a Fijian politician. She served as the President of the Fiji Labour Party and a Senator. She was appointed to the Senate in 2002 as one of 8 nominees of the Leader of the Opposition, Mahendra Chaudhry Mahendra Pal Chaudhry ( hif, महेन्द्र पाल चौधरी; born 9 February 1942) is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party. Following a historic election in which he defeated the long-time former lead .... References {{DEFAULTSORT:Koroi, Jokapeci Fiji Labour Party politicians 1932 births 2011 deaths I-Taukei Fijian members of the Senate (Fiji) I-Taukei Fijian people ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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