20 Facts About Naiqama Lalabalavu

Naiqama Lalabalavu has served as the leader of the opposition and as Speaker of the Parliament of Fiji.

In 1999, Lalabalavu succeeded his late father, Ratu Glanville Lalabalavu, as the Tui Cakau, or Paramount Chief of Cakaudrove and of the Tovata Confederacy, one of three confederacies to which all Fijian tribes belong.

Naiqama Lalabalavu was challenged in court by Ratu Epeli Ganilau, son of former Fijian President Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau who had himself held the Tui Cakau title prior to his death in 1993, but in 2001, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Lalabalavu.

Naiqama Lalabalavu is the father of SODELPA Member of Parliament Dr Ratu Atonio Naiqama Lalabalavu.

Naiqama Lalabalavu was elected to represent the Lau-Taveuni-Rotuma Open Constituency in the House of Representatives in 1999 as a candidate of the ruling Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei, one of only 8 SVT candidates to win seats.

Naiqama Lalabalavu defeated his chiefly rival, Ratu Epeli Ganilau of the Christian Democratic Alliance, by a margin of 58 percent to 32 percent.

Naiqama Lalabalavu was appointed Minister for Fijian Affairs by George Speight during the 2000 Fijian coup d'etat.

Now a leading member of the Conservative Alliance, a nationalistic party which included many supporters and associates of George Speight, the chief instigator of the 2000 coup, Naiqama Lalabalavu won the Cakaudrove East Fijian Communal Constituency, one of 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians in the House of Representatives.

Naiqama Lalabalavu accused him of having ordered the burning of the Matailakeba Cane Farm in Seaqaqa in the midst of an army mutiny at Sukanaivalu Barracks in Labasa on July 29,2000.

On 6 April 2003, it was reported that Naiqama Lalabalavu had called for an overhaul of the country's constitutional institutions.

Naiqama Lalabalavu said that as it was the chiefs who ceded the islands to the United Kingdom in 1874, paramount authority should have been returned to them when independence was granted in 1970.

Naiqama Lalabalavu 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 the indigenous people, but of all races.

Naiqama Lalabalavu's proposal was rejected by Ratu Epeli Ganilau, who was then the Chairman of the Great Council.

Naiqama Lalabalavu was the Minister for Lands and Minister for Mineral Resources in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, but was forced to resign after being convicted of unlawful assembly and jailed for his actions during the coup.

Naiqama Lalabalavu was released under a compulsory supervision order, having served only 11 days of his eight month sentence.

Naiqama Lalabalavu was deposed in December 2006 by the 2006 Fijian coup d'etat.

Naiqama Lalabalavu ran as a candidate for the Social Democratic Liberal Party in the 2014 election, winning 6668 votes, the 6th highest-polling candidate.

In May 2015, Naiqama Lalabalavu was referred to the privileges committee for making derogatory comments about Speaker of Parliament Dr Jiko Luveni at a constituency meeting.

On July 15,2015, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu launched a constitutional challenge, heard by Chief Justice Anthony Gates, against Speaker Jiko Luveni and Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum for his suspension.

Naiqama Lalabalavu had planned to retire from politics, but changed his mind and stood for re-election in the 2018 elections.