Mosese Qionibaravi (10 September 1938 – 22 September 1987) was a Fijian chief, civil servant and politician. He served as a member of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

from 1973 until his death, also holding the offices of

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Finance, and Deputy Prime Minister.

Biography

Qionibaravi was born in September 1938.''Fiji Focus'', Department of Information, 1982, p13 He was educated at the Ratu Alifereti Finau Memorial Primary School and then

Ratu Kadavulevu School Ratu Kadavulevu School is a school in Lodoni, Fiji. It has some 900 students and is one of the largest boarding schools in the country. Its students are multiracial, but predominantly Indigenous Fijians. The school was founded in 1924 as the Pr ...

and

Queen Victoria School Queen Victoria School (QVS) is a non-selective, co-educational, boarding school predominantly for children of Scottish Servicemen/women (but see full admissions criteria, below) aged 10/11 to 18. It occupies a Scottish Baronial-style building on ...

. He subsequently attended the

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

, where he earned a Bachelor of Commerce in 1962 and a Master of Commerce in 1964. After returning to Fiji, he joined the Central Planning Office as an assistant secretary, rising to become Deputy Chief Planning Officer by 1969. In 1970 his wife Anaseini became Fiji's female Senator. He transferred departments to become Permanent Secretary for Finance in 1971. He became a member of the

Great Council of Chiefs The Great Council of Chiefs ''(Bose Levu Vakaturaga'' in Fijian) was a constitutional body in Fiji from 1876 to March 2012. In April 2007, the council was suspended, due to an unworkable relationship with Frank Bainimarama, leader of an "interi ...

and served on the Fijian Affairs Board and the Native Land Trust Board. In 1973 Qionibaravi left the public sector to become managing director of Naviti Investments. In the same year he contested the Suva East by-election as the Alliance Party candidate following the death of incumbent

Edward Cakobau Ratu Sir Edward Tuivanuavou Tugi Cakobau (21 December 1908 – 25 June 1973) was a Fijian chief, soldier, politician and cricketer. He was a member of the Fijian legislature from 1944 until his death, also serving as Minister for Commerce, Ind ...

and was elected to the House of Representatives. He was re-elected in both elections in 1977 and was appointed Speaker of the House of Representatives. He was made a

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

in the

1979 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1979 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate ...

, and in 1981 was elected president of the

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organisation which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights. In 1989 the patron of the CPA was the Head of ...

and became a Pro Chancellor of the

University of the South Pacific The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public university, public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and ...

, a role he held until 1985. After being re-elected in 1982 elections from the Lomaiviti–Muanikau constituency, Qionibaravi was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism. In late 1983 he was appointed

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

following the resignation of Charles Walker. In 1985 he was also appointed Deputy Prime Minister. Although he was re-elected in April 1987, the Alliance Party was defeated and he became an opposition MP until Parliament was dissolved following a

military coup A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such ...

. He died in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

in September 1987 due to liver problems.Transition
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', November 1987, p46

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Qionibaravi, Mosese 1938 births People educated at Ratu Kadavulevu School People educated at Queen Victoria School (Fiji) University of Auckland alumni Fijian civil servants 20th-century Fijian businesspeople Fijian chiefs Members of the House of Representatives (Fiji) Alliance Party (Fiji) politicians Speakers of the House of Representatives (Fiji) Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Tourism ministers of Fiji Finance Ministers of Fiji Foreign Ministers of Fiji 1987 deaths