12 Facts About Tevita Momoedonu

Tevita Momoedonu subsequently served his country as Ambassador of Fiji to Japan.

In 1999, Momoedonu had been elected on the Fiji Labour Party ticket to represent the Vuda Open Constituency in the House of Representatives, and subsequently appointed to the Cabinet.

Tevita Momoedonu was the only minister not present in the Parliament building when George Speight stormed the complex on 19 May 2000, taking Chaudhry and other government members hostage and staging a coup d'etat.

Tevita Momoedonu served as Minister for Labour and Industrial Relations in the interim Cabinet formed by Laisenia Qarase in the midst of the upheaval that followed the coup.

Tevita Momoedonu argued that defections from Chaudhry's Labour Party meant that he no longer had majority support in the House of Representatives, and therefore the President was not obliged to appoint him.

Cynics, including former House of Representatives Speaker Tomasi Vakatora, saw the appointment more as a case of nepotism: Tevita Momoedonu was President Iloilo's nephew.

Tevita Momoedonu rendered his formal advice to President Iloilo to dissolve Parliament and call a general election.

Mission accomplished, Tevita Momoedonu resigned the next day, allowing Laisenia Qarase to resume the office of Prime Minister.

Tevita Momoedonu stood as a candidate for the House of Representatives on the Bei Kai Viti Party ticket, but was defeated.

In 2002, Tevita Momoedonu was appointed Fiji's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan, and duly presented his credentials to Emperor Akihito on 7 October that year.

Tevita Momoedonu's term expired in March 2006, and he returned to Fiji.

The Fiji Sun reported on 12 March 2006 that Tevita Momoedonu was being considered as a possible leader for the Party of National Unity, which was reestablished in early 2006 following its deregistration the previous year, and which absorbed the People's National Party and Tevita Momoedonu's old BKV in March 2006.