Viliame Naupoto

Rear Admiral Viliame Naupoto OF (MIL) is a Fijian soldier, politician and former Cabinet Minister. After serving as Commander of the Republic of Fiji Navy, he was appointed as a Minister in the military regime of dictator Frank Bainimarama. He was later appointed commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, before being elected to the Parliament of Fiji in December 2022.

Viliame Naupoto
Naupoto in 2015
Minister of Youth and Sports
In office
22 February 2012 – 24 September 2014
Prime MinisterFrank Bainimarama
Preceded byNone (portfolio created)
Succeeded byLaisenia Tuitubou
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for FijiFirst List
Assumed office
14 December 2022
Personal details
Political partyFijiFirst

He joined the Republic of Fiji Military Forces in 1982 and served in the Fiji Navy.[1] In 1994 he was the Captain of the newly commissioned RFNS Kula.[2] During his time in the military, he served as the Commander of Fiji Navy, Director Finance and Logistics and Commander.[1] While serving as Navy Commander, Naupoto was arrested drink-driving. His case file subsequently went missing from the Nabua police station,[3] but was eventually found, and he was convicted and fined US$100.[4]

Following the 2006 Fijian coup d'état Naupoto was appointed Director of Immigration by the military, and was responsible for placing travel bans on the regime's opponents.[5] He also deported legal representatives of regime opponents.[6] After being sent to India for training,[7] he was appointed Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office,[8] and then chair of the Fiji Trade and Investment Board[9][10] and Permanent Secretary of the Department of Fisheries and Forests.[11] In February 2012 he was appointed Minister of Youth and Sports in the military cabinet.[12]

Naputo was selected as a FijiFirst candidate for the 2014 Fijian general election,[13] but not elected. Following the election he returned to the military, serving as chief of staff.[14][15] Following the sudden resignation of RFMF Commander Mosese Tikoitoga in August 2015 he was appointed acting commander.[16] The appointment was made permanent in March 2016.[17][18] In November 2015 he was promoted to Rear Admiral.[19] When Jioji Konrote was elected President of Fiji in October 2015, Naupoto became eligible for a seat in Parliament as his replacement, but turned it down to stay in the military.[20] He retired from the RFMF in March 2021,[21] and was replaced as RFMF Commander by Jone Kalouniwai in September 2021.[22][23]

He was selected again as a FijiFirst candidate for the 2022 election,[24][25] and was elected with 830 votes.[26][27] Following the election he was appointed as chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.[28]

In November 2014 Naupoto was made an Officer of the Order of Fiji.[29]

References
  1. "BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF COMMODORE VILIAME NAUPOTO COMMANDER OF THE REPUBLIC OF FIJI MILITARY FORCES". RFMF. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  2. "A Day That I Will Never Forget". Fiji Sun. 2020-05-13. Archived from the original on 2020-05-13.
  3. "Another file goes missing from a Fiji police station". RNZ. 11 July 2003. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  4. "Fiji navy Commander convicted of drink-driving offence". RNZ. 1 August 2003. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  5. "50 banned from leaving Fiji by military regime". RNZ. 25 January 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  6. "Lawyer for human rights activist deported from Fiji". RNZ. 26 June 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  7. "Fiji immigration boss to get military training on India". RNZ. 23 October 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  8. "Fiji's PSC to appoint another military officer". RNZ. 28 March 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  9. "Naupoto fills in as FTIB chairman". Fiji Sun. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  10. "In lastest Fiji shuffle, Naupoto now at top of FTIB". RNZ. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  11. "Leweni, Naupoto confirmed in posts". Fiji Sun. 23 July 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  12. "Fiji's interim government gets two additional ministers". RNZ. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  13. "Fiji PM's FijiFirst party nominees announced". RNZ. 26 July 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  14. "Former Fiji cabinet minister returns to the military". RNZ. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  15. "Naupoto's New Chief Of Staff". Fiji Sun. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  16. "Fiji's military commander resigns after only 18 months". RNZ. 1 August 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  17. "Qiliho appointed Fiji police commissioner". RNZ. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  18. "Naupoto, Qiliho And Kean Fill Top Jobs". Fiji Sun. 5 March 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  19. "Naupoto Promoted To Rear Admiral". Fiji Sun. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  20. "Fiji Parliament elects new President". RNZ. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  21. "Naupoto Officially Hands Over RFMF Leadership To Kalouniwai". Fiji Sun. 3 May 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  22. "Kalouniwai appointed Commander RFMF". Fiji Times. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  23. "Commander RFMF Brigadier-General Jone Kalouniwai Promoted To Major-General". Fiji Sun. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  24. "Naivalurua and Naupoto announced as part of the 20 proposed candidates for the FijiFirst Party". Fiji Village. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  25. "FijiFirst has announced its first batch of 20 proposed candidates". RNZ. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  26. "Fiji's general election: All the latest results". RNZ. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  27. "Viliame Naupoto (355)". Fijian Elections Office. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  28. "Two Opposition MPs head Parliamentary Committees". Fiji Village. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  29. "Eighteen receive Order of Fiji". Fiji Times. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
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