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Ratu Suliano Matanitobua is a Fijian chief, member of the Parliament of Fiji, and former Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the Social Democratic Liberal Party.
Matanitobua holds the chiefly title of Tui Namosi, to which he was installed in 1999, replacing his father, Ratu Saloon Matanitobua.[1] He first participated in the Great Council of Chiefs in 1989, at the age of 22.[1] He was first appointed to the interim Cabinet formed by Laisenia Qarase in the wake of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état.
In the 2001 parliamentary election, Matanitobua won the Namosi Fijian Communal Constituency for the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL), taking 85.5 percent of the vote. In the 2006 election, he held the seat by an even larger majority. He was removed from parliament by the 2006 Fijian coup d'état.
Matanitobua was elected as a SOELPA candidate in the 2014 elections, the first since the 2006 coup. During the election campaign he was criticised by the Fijian military for saying that his constituents took precedence over his military uniform.[2] In opposition he served as Shadow Minister for Youth and Sports.[3] He was re-elected in the 2018 election,[4] winning 3,279 votes.
References
- ^ a b Summary of world broadcasts: Asia, Pacific, Issues 3881–3893 (BBC 2000)
- ^ "Fiji Army Severs Ties With Namosi Chief". Pacific Islands Report. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- ^ Losirene Lacanivalu (13 September 2017). "Ratu Suliano Reflects On Role Of Past Leaders". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- ^ Talebula Kate (18 November 2018). "2018 General Election: SODELPA secures 21 seats". Fiji Times. Retrieved 19 November 2018.