Joni Madraiwiwi

Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, Lord Madraiwiwi Tangatatonga (born November 10, 1957 - September 29, 2016 ) was a prominent lawyer from Fiji , legal scholar and politician. He served as Vice President and also Executive President of Fiji, as well as Chief Justice of Nauru .

Life

Ratu Madraiwiwi is the eldest son of the chief Doctor Ratu Jione Atonio Rabici Doviverata , who was also his predecessor in the office of the Roko Tui Bau (until 1995). The family is an old royal family from the island of Construction of Fiji. His mother, Adi Losalini Raravuya Uluiviti came from the chief family (Tui) Nairai , from the Lomaiviti province of Fiji. She was one of the first women to become a member of Fiji's Legislative Council and subsequently to the House of Representatives of Fiji (Member of Parliament).

Ratu Madraiwiwi was ceremonially inaugurated as Vice President on January 10, 2005 after he was nominated by President Ratu Josefa Iloilo and confirmed by the Great Council of Chiefs on December 14, 2004. He took office on December 14, 2004 to complete the unfinished term of his predecessor, Ratu Jope Seniloli , who resigned on November 29, 2004 after being convicted of high treason in connection with his role in the Fiji coup of 2000 was imminent. Madraiwiwi's first priority was to restore dignity and respect for the office of Vice President. On December 5, 2006, however, Madraiwiwi was in turn expelled from office. The Commodore Frank Bainimarama of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces informed him that he had until 15 January 2007 to leave his post after Bainimarama in état 2006 Fijian coup d' power was usurped. He was forcibly chased from his official residence and office on December 6th. Madraiwiwi announced in the second week of January 2007 that he was only "on leave" and that he would continue his private legal practice at Howards in the meantime .

In 2010 Madraiwiwi was honored by King George Tupou V of Tonga with a Tongan nobility rank and the title of Lord Madraiwiwi Tangatatonga . Due to his Fijian and Nauruan citizenship, he was nominated for the Supreme Court of Nauru in 2013 and appointed Chief Justice in 2014 . He held this position until his death on September 29, 2016.

Madraiwiwi was an excellent lawyer, hardworking writer and speaker who wrote numerous articles and books. His last work was A Personal Perspective , his autobiography.

Career

As the eldest son of the chief and Adi Losalini Raravuya Dovi (Uluiviti), Madraiwiwi received the name of his paternal grandfather, Joni Madraiwiwi I , a Ratu and early colonial administrator in the then British crown colony of Fiji . Madraiwiwi II was born in Levuka , on the island of Ovalau and initially received the title of Turaga na Roko Tui Bau , vassal- chief of Vunivalu von Bau , Paramount Chief of the Kubuna Confederacy . He earned a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Adelaide , Australia and then went to Montreal , Canada to graduate from McGill University in Law. His Master of Laws he acquired (LL.M.) in 1989 at the McGill University Faculty of Law , specializing in comparative law ( Comparative Law ). His master's thesis on aviation and space law was entitled The archipelagic regime under the United Nations convention of the Law of the Sea 1982: its development and effect on air law. He also obtained a diploma in Air and Space Law (DipA & SL) from the institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University in 1988.

Afterwards Madraiwiwi returned to Fiji and worked for the office of the Attorney-General of Fiji (public prosecutor) as a solicitor from 1983 to 1991. He was subsequently appointed as a permanent arbitrator and served until 1997 when he was judge of the High Court of Fiji was. In the mid-2000s, he resigned in protest against the 2000 Fijian coup d'état . At that time, the elected government was overthrown, the 1997 constitution repealed and the judicial system reorganized through a decree. Madraiwiwi then initially ran a private law firm as a partner of Howards . He also served as director of Fiji Times Limited (the leading newspaper in Fiji), trustee of the Fijian Trust Fund, and human rights commissioner and chairman of the Citizens Constitutional Forum , a pro-democracy Human rights organization.

In 2004 he was appointed Vice President of Fiji . The Rewa High Chief (paramount chief) Ro Jone Mataitini advocated the choice as Madraiwiwi dispose over such a comprehensive legal knowledge and great support from other racial and religious groups. In reality, he was a compromise candidate between the traditionalist camps who preferred a high chief for the vice-presidency and those (including Ratu Epeli Ganilau , former Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs ) who did not have a native in the post wanted as a gesture of accommodating towards the Indo-Fijians and other minorities. The leader of the Fiji Labor Party and former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry also welcomed Madraiwiwis appointment. Tribal considerations also played a role in this choice. The tribes of Fiji belong to three confederations: Kubuna , Burebasaga, and Tovata . President Iloilo belonged to Burebasaga and his predecessor, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to Tovata, so the next vice-president had to belong to Kubuna. Madraiwiwi was used in 1995 as the Roko Tui building of the Kubuna Confederation.

The 1997 constitution assigns the vice-president a purely ceremonial role, except when the president must actually be represented. As President Iloilo, 84, was ill, priority was given to the vice-president being a respected figure who could lead the presidency in an emergency. Madraiwiwi was in fact Acting President in Iloilo's absence in 2005 and 2006.

In his exercise of the office of President Madraiwiwi was able to negotiate a peace agreement (truce) between Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and the military commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama on January 16, 2006 . The long-running 2005-06 Fijian Political Crisis had fueled fears of a military coup. Under Madraiwiwi's mediation, each side made concessions and observers were initially cautiously optimistic that the crisis might be over. The peace agreement broke up, however. On December 5th, the coup finally took place.

After the vice presidency

In 2008 a Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in the Solomon Islands . Five commissioners were appointed to deal with an ethnic conflict, two of whom were supposed to be foreigners. Madraiwiwi was approached and became one of the two Foreign Commissioners. He brought "strong international human rights experience to the TRC" to the Commission.

In January 2010, King George Tupou V raised him to the non-hereditary nobility (Life Peerage) in the Kingdom of Tonga with the title Lord Madraiwiwi Tangatatonga . Madraiwiwi became Chief Justice of Nauru following the resignation of Geoffrey Eames QC . He died on September 29, 2016 after a brief illness during his tenure as Supreme Court Chief Justice of Nauru. A week later, on October 7, 2016, he was buried in Sau Tabu in Bau Island. The king of Tonga Tupou VI also attended the funeral services . , as well as members of other important chief families.

family

Ratu Madraiwiwi has well-known ancestors. His grandfather was, as already mentioned, Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi (1859-1920), his great-great-grandfather Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau (1815-1883), the chief who united Fiji as a nation under his leadership before the country took over in 1874 the British fell. An uncle, Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna (1888-1958) made the arrangements necessary to become self-employed.

His wife was Adi Lusi Tuivanuavou (also: Lusiana Paluvavau Qolikoro ), whom he married on December 5, 1998 on the island of Bau in Fiji.

Political opinions

Madraiwiwi was known for its open positions on political and cultural moderation and for its efforts to encourage people to seek creative and practical solutions to controversies and problems in Fiji.

Ethnic tensions and human rights

Madraiwiwi has always spoken out against fears the indigenous peoples have over a large Indo-Fijian population, as ownership of most of the land is enshrined in the 1997 constitution . He also called for inclusive treatment for all citizens of Fiji and a common name to be found. "Fijian" was used too often for the ethnic group rather than for the entire citizenry.

Addressing the Fiji Law Society meeting at the Warwick Hotel on the Coral Coast of Fiji on July 2, 2005, Madraiwiwi said that the feeling of insecurity felt by many Native Fijians would disappear if they were better educated . He noted that most members of the ethnic community distrust the 1997 constitution and jurisprudence as both could be abused depending on which government is in power - an attitude that needs to be changed. His people must understand that legal binding is not an extraterrestrial, Western concept, but an idea that is as deeply rooted in the tradition of Fiji as it is in the tradition of the West.

On the occasion of an educational workshop in Suva on July 13, 2005, Madraiwiwi said it was wrong to view indigenous rights as overriding human rights in general. The ILO Convention 169 (the Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries) makes it clear that indigenous rights must never be applied separately from human rights and must not be applied at their expense. The articles that refer to a self-determined system of government for indigenous peoples are, in his words, intended for traditions and cultural affairs and "do not legitimize or authorize indigenous supremacy in any way" ("not legitimize or authorize indigenous supremacy" ).

Madraiwiwi also rejected arguments by some politicians that the British, when they gave Fiji independence again in 1970, should have transferred power back to the chiefs (ratu). Madraiwiw demonstrated a legal continuity from the chiefs through British colonial rule to the modern state of Fiji. Universal rules, he said, required that Fijians reconcile their innate rights with fundamental human rights recognized by other communities. However, not everyone is accepted.

He made this position clear again in his closing address at the Roundtable on Human Rights, Indigenous Rights, and Nationalism of the Fiji Human Rights Commission on July 23, 2005 at the Holiday Inn , Suva. He insisted that indigenous rights and human rights are interdependent and that one cannot exist without the other.

Speaking to cadets at Xavier College in Ba on July 27 (Lautoka speech), Madraiwiwi stated that the cycle of blame leads Fijians into racially polarizing politics. He said that ethnic and cultural diversity has made Fiji so much richer, and praised the Cadet Corps for overcoming ethnic divisions and acting as a whole.

Speaking at the opening of the Fiji Week Celebrations on October 7, 2005, Madraiwiwi called on the nation to resolve questions about fundamental identity. This includes finding an inclusive adjective for nationality, since the term “Fijian” is widely used as an ethnic term and is often rejected by non-natives. Choosing a national language and whether to keep or change the flag should also be addressed. Nothing good would come of it if one avoided such questions, because only through the solution could true reconciliation and unity of the nation arise.

Relationship between Church and State

In the address on July 27th (Lautoka speech) Madraiwiwi opposed the establishment of Fiji as a “Christian state”, because he was of the opinion that this was a “correct relationship” between the predominantly Christian Fijian indigenous population and the mainly Hindu and Muslim Indo-Fijian community minority. He expressed concern that the rise of new fundamentalist denominations at the expense of the long-dominated Methodist Church evoked a “less tolerant dimension to the work of some Christian churches”. Since then, Madraiwiwi has often reiterated that the proposals to establish a Christian state ignored the potential for division and conflict. At the Religion and Governance Forum in Suva on May 17, 2005, he said the proposal had its roots in the conversion of some chiefs to Christianity and in the Deed of Cession , in which the chiefs gave up their sovereignty to the United Kingdom in 1874. However, when looking at a multi-religious country like Fiji, it is not wise to choose any religion. In an earlier address at a Hindu meeting on March 28, Madraiwiwi criticized government politicians for decorating speeches exclusively in Christian terms. “When national leaders address the people of Fiji in specifically Christian terms, whatever the situation, nearly half of the population is excluded. When prayer in a mixed congregation is uttered in a phrase that implies a purely Christian God, we inadvertently exclude and evaluate other attendees from other religions. When we use Christian symbols to promote reconciliation, forgiveness and unity, we are ignoring the contributions and equally rich traditions that exist in other religions and cultural traditions. "

Madraiwiwi also criticized the churches for failing to address major social problems, including rape, incest and violent crime. He called on Christian leaders to be examples to the people so that action should follow what they preached. Speaking in the Lau Archipelago on May 12, 2005, he introduced the Lau chief and former President of Fiji, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara , as an example of "not just going to church, but living the life of a Christian" ( who not only went to church but lived the life of a Christian). Madraiwiwi urged other religious leaders to do the same. He later spoke at the Religion and Governance Forum in Suva (May 18, 2005), where he complained that there have been cases where parishes have made unreasonable demands on their parishioners for time and donations, thereby causing a “significant erosion of family values "(" A significant erosion on family values ​​"). He also called on the churches to address the problem of excessive yaqona , which he believes has given rise to numerous social problems. He was concerned about the Methodist Church, to which about 2/3 of the indigenous Fijians belong, and which had not taken up any of these topics at this conference. He admitted, however, that the Fijian culture, which seeks consensus rather than open debate, is likely to create conflict on such issues.

On May 13, 2005, the Catholic Archbishop Petero Mataca replied . He agreed that the church had an important role in fighting crime, but they could not be held solely responsible for the problem.

The chief system of Fiji

Madraiwiwi also spoke about the fact that the chiefs should be more approachable and listen to their clan members. "It will be impossible to achieve anything when the elders and chiefs get their own way and are too proud of their chief status that they do not go into the lower spheres of their people."

In a speech at the Pacific Regional Workshop on Leadership Development in Lami on July 9, 2005, Madraiwiwi spoke about the need for the chief system in Fiji and other Pacific island states to adapt to modern realities. The traditional chief authority remains significant, he said, but its role is losing its purpose. British colonization had actually strengthened the chieftain's system, but actually fossilized it. Historically, there had been some flexibility as chiefs had to confirm their position through military success, but British protectionism had given chiefs unprecedented reach and depth . Christianity had also supported the system. As a result, the church and the chiefs system had interwoven and secured each other, not always to the benefit of society. However, the changing realities of the modern world meant that traditional leaders must share the leadership of the country with others. Chiefs and church leaders should recognize that tradition does not interact smoothly with human rights in all situations and that sensitivity is necessary to resolve inevitable tensions between the church and tradition on the one hand and human rights on the other.

Speaking at the Fiji Medical Association conference on September 1, 2005, Madraiwiwi said that the days when chiefs, religious leaders and state officials expected to be treated with submissiveness were over and he advocated this change. He called on doctors to become more self-confident as their education, skills and income class put them in a position that belongs to the leadership class of the community. “The world outside of medicine is also yours. Treating ailments and diseases is not the sum of your entire existence. You too are citizens of this country and should see yourselves in this role. "

Madraiwiwi also took the view that democracy had not fully arrived in Fiji. Speaking at the opening of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference in Nadi on September 6, 2005, he said that Fiji still does not fully recognize and appreciate the concepts of human rights and legal binding force. Despite the guarantees of the constitution, some aspects of democracy are very poorly implemented. Ethnic tensions added to the problem, he said. The Indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians have competing priorities that should be treated in such a way that they are implemented fairly for all.

“All of our communities must make an effort to reach out to others instead of passively waiting for gestures that may never be made. [...] Social integration cannot be forced and cannot be carried out at a pace that is uncomfortable for the respective community. "

Madraiwiwi was optimistic about the overall state of racial relations but said more could be done: "Relations between our ethnic communities are generally good, but we must continue to work to weave relationships to the point that they are interwoven and indelible. "

In the same address, Madraiwiwi praised the Commonwealth of Nations .

“The strength of the Commonwealth lies precisely in its diversity and in the approach to being sensible in dealing with the economic, social, political and cultural systems that belong to its members. The commonality lies in its connection to humanity, by and large it has provided an immutable forum whose members can take up and carry on matters carefully. "

Economic and environmental views

On July 7, 2005, Madraiwiwi appealed to fellow chiefs to consider more effective ways of using the income earned from tourist facilities built on Native Fijian land. At the Tourism Forum at the Sheraton Resort , he asked for the annual profit, which at the time was more than F $ 30 million. was to work for the participation of the indigenous population in the industry. He urged leading personalities to adopt a more bipartisan approach to national affairs, because a small country with limited resources cannot have “endless debates about ethnicity and identity” ) Afford. It is necessary to find new approaches.

"We have to go forward and get past the point where we endlessly conjure up the demons that history has given us."

At a Greenpeace meeting in Suva on July 10, 2005 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior by French agents of the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure in 1985, Madraiwiwi said that although atomic tests were a problem at the time, the region but is still concerned with critical environmental problems. “Back then, nuclear tests were the problem of the day, now we are dealing with problems such as climate change, overfishing, deforestation, shipping of radioactive material through the waters of the Pacific and enrichment of nuclear material. We have to be very vigilant so that we do not become victims again ”Madraiwiwi was a former member of the Greenpeace Board himself and called on the environmental lobby to remind itself that“ the actions of a committed few can change the course of world history ”.

As Vice President, he also called for a crusade against corruption to be launched and for the Public Service Commission's criminal law to be unbureaucratised in order to avoid delays in the fight against corruption and further abuse. “Fighting [corruption] requires courage, determination and perseverance. The most effective method for this is to create a climate that is not susceptible to corruption, ”said Madraiwiwi at the publication of the book Transparency International Fiji in Suva on December 9, 2005.

Views on homosexuality

On August 31, 2005, Madraiwiwi became the first high-ranking official in Fiji to advocate legalization of homosexuality. At the opening event of the Fiji Medical Association conference in Suva , he said that he knows the disgust of the major religions towards homosexuality, but that he thinks it is not the job of the state to sanction the sexual acts that people practice in private . “Whatever you think of it, those who choose to practice this lifestyle in their private life have a right to do so.” Madraiwiwi's comment came at a time when the Methodist and other churches, as well as some Hindu and Muslims - urged organizations to close the loopholes in the law that allowed a Fijian citizen and a foreigner to get away with impunity after being convicted of homosexual acts. Madraiwiwi's support for legalizing homosexuality also ran against Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase's assurances that homosexuality would remain illegal while he was in office.

Poppy Drive Speech

At the opening of Poppy Drive (Veterans Relief) on October 21, Madraiwiwi urged war veterans to dispel old grudges. The general refusal of Indo-Fijians to take part in the fighting of World War II caused widespread bitterness among the native Fijians, which has not yet been completely resolved. Madraiwiwi stated, however, that the Indo-Fijians had also shown courage in their own way, enduring abuse from the hands of their colonial masters "with fortitude and grace" for which they had "little reason to be grateful. ”(they had little reason to be grateful). He also challenged the people by questioning how far the economy could have survived if the Indo-Fijians had also gone to war. "Who would have planted the sugar cane, operated the mills, and fed the colony if they'd gone into battle?"

In the same address, the Vice President stressed that only those who experienced the horrors of war can truly appreciate the value of freedom. A generation grew up who took freedom for granted, he said, but had a debt of thanks that could never be repaid to those who had paid for it with their blood. He said that people have become braver when it comes to claiming their rights, but that is often a reason for war.

Electoral system

On November 3, 2005, Madraiwiwi expressed concern about an alternative vote , which included elements of the instant runoff voting and electoral fusion that had been used in Fiji in the past two elections. The system allows political parties and candidates to combine their votes in a constituency (constituency) according to a pre-determined ranking of "Preferences". Even if voters can theoretically use the ranking, only very few did so in the elections and many were demonstrably unaware that a vote that was cast for the party of their choice could be transferred to another party that they do not support wanted to. In practice, this meant that voters would vote for any other party, depending on their preferences, and so, according to Madraiwiwi, would violate freedom of choice. It might be better to go back to the old first past the post system.

At a meeting of the Citizens Constitutional Forum on February 9, 2006 in Suva , Madraiwiwi paid tribute to the calls for electoral reform. He called for a reduction in the number of communal constituencies (with elections according to ethnic electoral lists) and an associated increase in open constituencies (with elections according to universal suffrage ). Communal voting intensified the ethnic upheavals that are characteristic of the elections in Fiji and should be abandoned.

At the meeting, Madraiwiwi reiterated his concerns about the electoral system at the time and suggested introducing proportional representation , prompting Tomasi Vakatora from the mostly indigenous Grand Coalition Initiative Group and Krishna Datt from the mostly Indo-Fijian, Fiji Labor Party in a rare unit rejected the vice-president's request and emphasized that they were satisfied with the current electoral system.

Criticism of Ethnic Politics

In his address to the Pacific Islands Political Studies Association ( PIPSA ) on November 24, 2005, Madraiwiwi described racial relations as "a work in progress". He lamented the ethnic fault line that governed politics in Fiji. The electoral system, in which nearly two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives were chosen by voters belonging to closed ethnic electoral lists, added to this divide. Ultimately, the people withdrew into their “ethnic fortresses” (ethnic fortresses) and viewed each other with suspicion.

Madraiwiwi called for personal relationships to be built based on trust across ethnic boundaries. “We have to start trusting each other if this country is to move forward in the direction we want. But before that we have to do the preparatory work by letting trust develop through relationships that we cultivate on a daily basis. "

One factor was cause for optimism for Madraiwiwi: The indigenous population was growing faster than the total population at this point in time and this could gradually defuse fears of marginalization.

Position of the language of Fiji

At the 72nd annual meeting of the Fijian Teachers Association in Suva on January 9, 2006, Madraiwiwi and others called for the Fijian language to be made compulsory in all primary schools. His parents' generation had emphasized English on the assumption that Fiji could be learned later, but this meant that an entire generation could speak little Fiji and if the language was not made a subject, another Generation could be lost.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.pireport.org/articles/2004/12/16/madraiwiwi-appointed-fiji-vice-president
2. ^ J. Fraenkel: Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi. In: The Journal of Pacific History. 2016, 51 (4): 447-450.
3. ↑ [1]
4. ↑ [2]
5. ↑ https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/314489/fiji's-ratu-joni-madraiwiwi-dies
6. ^ J. Fraenkel: Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi. The Journal of Pacific History. 2016, 51, 4: 447-450.
7. ↑ https://solivakasamablog.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/ratu-joni-madraiwiwi-a-national-treasure-set-aside-6-oct-2016/
8. ↑ https://www.academia.edu/3088047/A_review_of_Personal_Perspectives_by_Ratu_Joni_Madraiwiwi
9. ↑ https://www.mcgill.ca/iasl/about/alumni/thesisllm#M1
10. ↑ https://archive.today/20130925035039/http://www.mcgill.ca/about/alumni/publicservice/
11. ↑ http://www.pireport.org/articles/2004/12/16/madraiwiwi-appointed-fiji-vice-president
12. ^ J. Fraenkel: Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi. In: The Journal of Pacific History. 2016, 51, 4: 447-450.
13. ^ "Ratu Joni is an eminent scholar who served Fiji with distinction in the last 20 years holding high offices. He is fully conversant with the affairs of the State and he will certainly restore dignity and decorum to the high office. "
14. ^ Truth and Reconciliation Commission Solomon Islands .
15. ↑ "Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi appointed Lord Madraiwiwi Thong Tonga" , Government of Tonga, January 4th of 2010.
16. ↑ Archived copy . Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
17. ↑ Fiji's Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi dies . Radio New Zealand International. September 29, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
18. ^ "While I personally have no problem with the term Fijian, I recognize many others in my community are not," he said in a speech to the Lautoka Rotary Club on March 14, 2005. "But let us not leave it there. Let we find other options, " he proposed.
19. ↑ "To say that power should have been returned to the Fijian chiefs is to ignore what occurred between 1874 and 1970."
20. ↑ "It is an unpalatable truth for Fijians because it flies in the face of everything they have been brought up to believe and conditioned to accept."
21. ^ "When national leaders address the people of Fiji in specifically Christian terms, whatever the occasion, nearly half of our people are excluded. When prayer in mixed company is uttered in terms of a purely Christian God, we unintentionally omit and diminish others present of different faiths. When we use Christian symbolism to promote reconciliation, forgiveness and unity, we discount the contribution and equally rich traditions extant in other faiths and cultural traditions. "
22. ↑ "It will be impossible to achieve this if the elders and chiefs have their own way and are too proud of their chiefly status to not bring themselves down to the people." Madraiwiwi at the Lau Provincial Council on May 11, 2005
23. ↑ Traditional leadership Remained significant, but its role diminishing what.
24. ^ "The world outside medicine is yours as well. Remedying ailments and illness is not the sum total of your existence. You are also citizens of this country and need to be seen in that role. "
25. ↑ All our communities have to make the effort to reach out to each other rather than waiting passively for gestures that may never be made. [...] Social integration cannot be forced and not proceed at the pace that the community considers uncomfortable.
26. ↑ "Relationships between our ethnic communities are generally good but we need to continue weaving connections to the point where they are interwoven and unbreakable."
27. ↑ The strength of Commonwealth lies in its diversity and it to be mindful of bearing economic, social, political and cultural systems which comprise its membership. [...] Its commonality lies in its connection to humanity, in the main it has provided an invariable forum whose members to open and continue meaningful issues of concern.
28. ^ "We need to move forward and beyond the point where we endlessly pursue the demons comfortably deathed us by our history".
29. ^ "Back then the issue of the day was nuclear testing, now we are faced with problems such as climate change, overfishing, deforestation, shipments of radioactive materials through Pacific waters and nuclear proliferation. We need to remain vigilant so that we won't become victims again. "
30. ↑ "the actions of a few with commitment, can alter the course of world history."
31. ↑ "Combating it will take courage, determination and perseverance. The most effective means of doing it is by creating a climate not receptive to corruption. "
32. ↑ "Whatever one's views about it, those who choose to practice that lifestyle in private surely have a right to do so."
33. ↑ "Who would have planted the cane, run the mills and funded the colony if they had gone to battle?"
34. ↑ "We must begin to trust each other if this country is to progress the way we want it to. But before that we have to lay the preparatory work to engender that trust by building relationships every day. "

Web links

• Wikiquote
• Fiji's 2001 Elections: Our Country at the Crossroads - 2001 Parkinson Memorial Lecture Series, August 15, 2001.
• Ethnic Tensions and the Rule of Law - Siwatibau Memorial Lecture, Honiara , Solomon Islands , September 24, 2004.

predecessor	Office	successor
Jope Seniloli	Vice President of Fiji 2004-2006	Epeli Nailatikau
Jione Atonio Rabici Doviverata	Roko Tui building 1995–2016	vacancy
Geoffrey Eames	Chief Justice of Nauru 1995-2016	Filimone Jitoko