Filipe Tuisawau

Ro Filipe Qaraniqio Tuisawau is a Fijian chief, politician, and Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the People's Alliance. He is the son of former National Federation Party MP Ratu Mosese Tuisawau and the nephew of former SODELPA leader Ro Teimumu Kepa.[1]

The Honourable Ro
Filipe Tuisawau
MP
Filipe Tuisawau in 2023
Minister for Communications
Assumed office
24 December 2022
PresidentSitiveni Rabuka
Preceded byAiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
Minister for Public Works
Assumed office
24 December 2022
Minister for Transport
Assumed office
24 December 2022
Preceded byFaiyaz Koya
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for PA List
Assumed office
14 December 2022
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for SODELPA List
In office
14 November 2018 – 14 December 2022
Personal details
Political partySocial Democratic Liberal Party
People's Alliance

Before entering politics Tuisawu was president of the Fiji Rugby Union and also worked for the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.[2]

Tuisawu unsuccessfully contested the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua nomination for Fijian communal seat of Rewa in the 2006 Fijian general election.[3] When his aunt Ro Teimumu Kepa was selected instead, he contested the seat as an independent, but lost to her.[4][5] Following the 2006 Fijian coup d'état he opposed the military regime's proposal for a non-iTaukei president.[6]

He was elected to the Parliament of Fiji as a SODELPA candidate in the 2018 election, and made his first speech in parliament on 30 November 2018.[7] In February 2019 he made homophobic tweets about new Zealand MP Tāmati Coffey, and said that there would be no same-sex marriage in Fiji.[8] In January 2020 he made further homophobic comments, opposing an LGBTQ fashion show.[9][10]

In June 2019 he was elected president of SODELPA.[11] In April 2020 the High Court of Fiji ruled that his election breach the party's and the country's constitution,[12] sparking a period of bitter infighting in the party[13][14] and culminating in the suspension of the party from parliament.[15] The split continued after the suspension was lifted, with Tuisawu backing party leader Sitiveni Rabuka.[16]

In July 2021 he was detained by police along with other opposition MPs in a government attempt to stifle dissent over its proposed land bill.[17][18]

In September 2021 following the announcement of the People's Alliance he was one of four SODELPA MPs expected to join Rabuka's new party. Tuisawa said he would remain a SODELPA MP until the end of the parliamentary term, and make up his mind then.[19] In April 2022 he withdrew his nomination as a SODELPA candidate, saying that it had been made without his knowledge.[20] In November 2022 once parliament had been dissolved for the 2022 election he resigned from SODELPA, attributing his departure to the party split.[21] He subsequently joined the People's Alliance,[22] and contested the election as a PA candidate.[23] During the election campaign, he criticised SODELPA for allowing former military officers involved in the 2006 coup into the party,[24] and accused them of orchestrating the prosecution and imprisonment of SODELPA MP Niko Nawaikula.[25] He was elected[26] with 2041 votes.[27] On 24 December 2022 he was appointed Minister for Public Works, Communications, Transport and Meteorological Services in the coalition government of Sitiveni Rabuka.[28] His first task as Minister was to re-establish the Department of Public Works, which had been split up in 2008.[29]

References
  1. Laisa Lui (28 June 2019). "Bad Omen For Ro Filipe Tuisawau?". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  2. Ashna Kumar (18 April 2017). "More speak out on SODELPA list of applicants for poll tickets". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  3. "Fijian chiefs locked in battle over seat". RNZ. 23 March 2006. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  4. Nemani Delaibatiki (6 July 2019). "Rewa Chiefs Put In Precarious Position Over Party Politics". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  5. Baro Saumaki (2007). "Bose ni Vanua and democratic politics in Rewa". In Jon Fraenkel; Stewart Firth (eds.). From Election to Coup in Fiji: The 2006 campaign and its aftermath. Canberra: ANU Press. pp. 213–224.
  6. "Opposition in Fiji to suggestions of non-indigenous president". RNZ. 7 January 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  7. "Maiden speech by Opposition MP, Ro Filipe Tuisawau". Fiji Times. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  8. Selita Bolanavanua (24 February 2019). "Ro Filipe Tuisawau's Tweet Gets Attention In New Zealand". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  9. Nemani Delaibatiki (25 January 2020). "Nemani Delaibatiki: Ro Filipe's Attack On LGBTQ Community Is Hypocritical". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  10. Matthew Rosenberg (22 February 2019). "Labour's Tāmati Coffey slammed by Fijian MP for expecting child with male partner". Stuff. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  11. Elenoa Turagaiviu (28 June 2019). "Tuisawau elected as SODELPA President". FBC News. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  12. "Fiji high court rules election of Sodelpa president illegal". RNZ. 24 April 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  13. "Division widens in Fiji opposition party". RNZ. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  14. "Fiji's SODELPA factions hold their own board meetings". RNZ. 23 May 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  15. "A split in Sodelpa sees it suspended from Fiji's parliament". RNZ. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  16. "Call for unity as Fiji elections office lifts Sodelpa suspension". RNZ. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  17. Apenisa Waqairadovu (25 July 2021). "MPs taken in for questioning". FBC News. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  18. "Fiji govt urged to scrap plan to amend Land Bill". RNZ. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  19. Shalveen Chand (30 September 2021). "Are They Joining Rabuka?". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  20. Luke Nacei (13 April 2022). "Ro Filipe plans next move – 'I have withdrawn my application from SODELPA'". Fiji Times. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  21. Arieta Vakasukawaqa (2 November 2022). "Ro Filipe explains resignation". Fiji Times. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  22. Nacanieli Tuilevuka (1 November 2022). "Ratu Naiqama And Others Leaving Expected: Duru". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  23. Jone Salusalu (11 November 2022). "7 Women And 48 Men For The Peoples Alliance". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  24. Arieta Vakasukawaqa (4 November 2022). "'It is total hypocrisy' – Ro Filipe on ex-soldiers joining SODELPA". Fiji Times. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  25. Simione Tuvuki (1 November 2022). "Ro Filipe speaks out after exiting SODELPA". FBC News. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  26. Singh, Indira (18 December 2022). "Top 55 confirmed". FBC. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  27. "Ro Filipe Qaraniqio Tuisawau (479)". Fijian Elections Office. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  28. Apenisa Waqairadovu (24 December 2022). "Siromi Turaga sworn in as new AG". FBC News. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  29. Nacanieli Tuilevuka (28 December 2022). "Govt To Bring Back And Modernise PWD". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
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