Naiqama Lalabalavu | |
|---|---|
_2.jpg) Lalabalavu in 2023 | |
| 7thPresident of Fiji | |
| Assumed office 12 November 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Sitiveni Rabuka |
| Preceded by | Wiliame Katonivere |
| 3rdSpeaker of Parliament | |
| In office 24 December 2022 – 12 November 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Sitiveni Rabuka |
| Preceded by | Epeli Nailatikau |
| Succeeded by | Filimoni Jitoko |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 8 December 2020 – 24 December 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Frank Bainimarama |
| Preceded by | Sitiveni Rabuka |
| Succeeded by | Frank Bainimarama |
| Member forLau Taveuni Rotuma | |
| In office 1999–2001 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Savenaca Draunidalo |
| Member forCakaudrove East | |
| In office 2001–2006 | |
| Preceded by | Inoke Kubuabola |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1953-12-23)23 December 1953 (age 71) |
| Political party | SODELPA (2014 – 2022) PA (2022 – Present) |
RatuNaiqama Tawakecolati Lalabalavu,MBE (Fijian pronunciation:[naiŋɡamataɰakeðolatʃilalambalaβu]; born 23 December 1953) is aFijianParamount Chief and the currentPresident of Fiji. He has served as the leader of theopposition and as Speaker of theParliament of Fiji.
On 31 October 2024 he was electedPresident of Fiji; he took office on 12 November 2024.
In 1999, Lalabalavu succeeded his late father, RatuGlanville Lalabalavu, as theTui Cakau, or Paramount Chief ofCakaudrove and of theTovata Confederacy, one of three confederacies to which allFijian tribes belong. He was challenged in court byRatu Epeli Ganilau, son of formerFijian PresidentRatu Sir Penaia Ganilau who had himself held the Tui Cakau title prior to his death in 1993, but in 2001, theSupreme Court ruled in favour of Lalabalavu.
He is a convert toRoman Catholicism.[1]
Lalabalavu is the father of SODELPAMember of Parliament Dr RatuAtonio Lalabalavu.[2][3]
Lalabalavu waselected to represent theLau-Taveuni-RotumaOpen Constituency in theHouse of Representatives in 1999 as a candidate of the rulingSoqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei (SVT), one of only 8 SVT candidates to win seats. He defeated his chiefly rival, RatuEpeli Ganilau of theChristian Democratic Alliance, by a margin of 58 percent to 32 percent.
Lalabalavu was appointedMinister for Fijian Affairs byGeorge Speight during the2000 Fijian coup d'état.
By the time the 2001election was held to restore democracy, some major political realignments had taken place. Now a leading member of theConservative Alliance, a nationalistic party which included many supporters and associates of George Speight, the chief instigator of the 2000 coup, Lalabalavu won theCakaudrove EastFijianCommunal Constituency, one of 23 reserved forethnic Fijians in the House of Representatives. In thecoalition government that was subsequently formed, Lalabalavu was appointed Minister of Lands and Mineral Resources. The appointment was later harshly criticized bySenatorAdi Koila Nailatikau, daughter of formerPresidentRatu Sir Kamisese Mara, who had been deposed in the coup. She accused him of having ordered the burning of the Matailakeba Cane Farm inSeaqaqa (owned by Ratu Mara) in the midst of an armymutiny atSukanaivalu Barracks inLabasa on July 29, 2000.
On 6 April 2003, it was reported that Lalabalavu had called for an overhaul of the country's constitutional institutions. Political authority, he said, should be returned to Fiji's chiefs. He said that as it was the chiefs who ceded the islands to theUnited Kingdom in 1874, paramount authority should have been returned to them when independence was granted in 1970. As a first step, he proposed the abolition of theSenate, the functions of which could be taken over by theGreat Council of Chiefs, he said. He opined that restoring the authority of the chiefs would lead to a breaking down of Fiji's race barriers, as the chiefs would then be the leaders not only of theindigenous people, but of all races. His proposal was rejected by RatuEpeli Ganilau, who was then theChairman of the Great Council.
He was theMinister for Lands andMinister for Mineral Resources in theCabinet ofPrime MinisterLaisenia Qarase, but was forced to resign after being convicted of unlawful assembly and jailed for his actions during the coup.[4] He was subsequently released under a compulsory supervision order, having served only 11 days of his eight month sentence.[5]
TheFiji Village news service reported on 23 February 2006 that some chiefs wished to nominate Lalabalavu for the office ofPresident orVice-President in the2006 presidential election. When theGreat Council of Chiefs met on 8 March, however, itreelected unopposedRatuJosefa Iloilo andRatuJoni Madraiwiwi as President and Vice-President, respectively.
Following theparliamentary election held on 6–13 May 2006, he becameMinister for Fijian Affairs again, as well as Minister for Lands andProvincial Development. He was deposed in December 2006 by the2006 Fijian coup d'état.
Lalabalavu ran as a candidate for theSocial Democratic Liberal Party in the2014 election, winning 6668 votes, the 6th highest-polling candidate.[6] Following the election he was appointed Shadow Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources.
In May 2015, Lalabalavu was referred to the privileges committee for making derogatory comments about Speaker of Parliament DrJiko Luveni at a constituency meeting.[7] He was suspended from Parliament for two years. On July 15, 2015, Ratu Naiqama launched a constitutional challenge, heard byChief JusticeAnthony Gates, againstSpeakerJiko Luveni andAttorney GeneralAiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum for his suspension.[8] The case was argued in September 2015,[9] but the suspension expired before a decision was made.[10]
In June 2015, Lalabalavu was elected as SODELPA president. He was re-elected in June 2017.[11]
Lalabalavu had planned to retire from politics, but changed his mind and stood for re-election in the2018 elections.[2] He was elected,[12] winning 2,165 votes.
On 22 October 2024, he was nominated by the People’s Alliance for the presidency of Fiji.[13][14] On 31 October he was elected president in the2024 Fijian presidential election, defeating Meli Tora 37 votes to 16.[15] He was sworn in on 12 November.[16]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Tui Cakau 1999– | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Leader of the Opposition 2020–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Queen (1970–1987) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| President (from 1987) | ||
§Head of the military regime | ||