Ratimiti Babera Kirata OBE (1938-1991) was an I-Kiribati politician, elected in the House of Representatives in 1967 for the constituency of Onotoa. He was nominated candidate to the 1978 Gilbertese Chief Minister election. He was born in Onotoa where he was continuously elected MP from 1978 to his death, dying less than one month before the general election of May 1991. He was at that moment one of the possible candidates to the succession of Ieremia Tabai as the Beretitenti. [1] He was one of the founders and the first president of the Gilbertese National Party and later of the National Progressive Party (Kiribati). He had been continuously member of the Cabinet of Kiribati from 1979 to 1991. [2] [3]
Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an independent island nation in the central Pacific Ocean. The permanent population is over 119,000 (2020), more than half of whom live on Tarawa atoll. The state comprises 32 atolls and one raised coral island, Banaba. They have a total land area of 811 square kilometres and are dispersed over 3.5 million km2 (1.4 million sq mi).
The islands which now form the Republic of Kiribati have been inhabited for at least seven hundred years, and possibly much longer. The initial Austronesian peoples’ population, which remains the overwhelming majority today, was visited by Polynesian and Melanesian invaders before the first European sailors visited the islands in the 17th century. For much of the subsequent period, the main island chain, the Gilbert Islands, was ruled as part of the British Empire. The country gained its independence in 1979 and has since been known as Kiribati.
Politics of Kiribati takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Beretitenti, President of Kiribati, is both the head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government, Beretitenti and his cabinet, all MPs. Legislative power is exercised by the House of Assembly. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Constitution, promulgated at independence on 12 July 1979, establishes the Republic of Kiribati as a sovereign democratic republic and guarantees the fundamental rights of its citizens and residents.
Ieremia Tienang Tabai is an I-Kiribati politician who served as the first Beretitenti President of the Republic of Kiribati, after being the youngest ever Chief minister of the Commonwealth of Nations and then becoming the youngest ever head of State. During his presidency, he was described as being the most able leader of the Pacific island states.
Teatao Teannaki was an I-Kiribati political figure who served as President of Kiribati from 1991 until 1994.
Pillars of Truth was a political party in Kiribati, until 2020 when it merged with the Kiribati First Party to create the Boutokaan Kiribati Moa Party.
Protect the Maneaba is a political party in Kiribati created by the merger of the National Progressive Party and the Christian Democratic Party. At the last presidential elections of July 4, 2003, its candidate Harry Tong won 43.5% of the vote, leaving his brother Anote Tong, with 47.4%, the winner. In the legislative elections of two months earlier, the party won 24 out of 41 elected seats. In the 22 August and 30 August 2007 House of Assembly of Kiribati elections, the party won only 7 seats. Maneaba is Gilbertese for Assembly.
The president of Kiribati is the head of state and head of government of Kiribati.
The House of Assembly is the Legislature of Kiribati. Since 2016, it has 45 members, 44 elected for a four-year term in 23 single-seat and multi-seat constituencies and 1 not-elected delegate from the Banaban community on Rabi Island in Fiji. From 1979 to 2016, the Attorney general was an ex officio member of the legislature, until a change of the constitution modified this provision.
The Cabinet of Kiribati is the cabinet of the government of the Republic of Kiribati.
Agni Prasad Sapkota is a Nepalese politician and current speaker of the House of Representatives. He was elected speaker unapposed on 26 January 2020, after the previous speaker, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, resigned over allegations of attempted sexual assault. Sapkota previously served as a minister in the cabinets of prime ministers Jhala Nath Khanal and KP Sharma Oli.
Parliamentary elections were held in the Gilbert Islands on 1 February 1978, with a second round on 6 February.
Taomati T. Iuta was an I-Kiribati politician. He was Speaker of the House of Assembly of Kiribati for the Ninth Parliament (2011–2015). He was Vice President of Kiribati from 1991 to 1994.
Parliamentary elections were held in Kiribati on 30 December 2015, with a second round of voting for 25 seats on 7 January 2016. The result was a victory for the Pillars of Truth party, which won 26 of the 46 seats.
Taneti Maamau is an I-Kiribati politician who is currently the 5th President of Kiribati. A member of Tobwaan Kiribati Party, he began his career in public service as a Planning Officer with the Ministry of Finance before becoming Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives.
Te Reuben Kiraua Uatioa was a Gilbertese politician. After being elected to the House of Representatives in 1967, he became the first Chief Elected Member of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony and then Leader of Government Business, serving until unexpectedly losing his seat in 1974. He then served as Speaker of the House of Representatives until 1975.
Bwebwetake Areieta was an I-Kiribati politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Council and House of Assembly from 1971 until his death, also holding the posts of Member for Social Services and Minister of Communications, Works and Utilities during the 1970s.
Naboua T. Ratieta was an I-Kiribati politician who became the first Chief Minister of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1974. The Ellice Islands separated from the colony the following year, and he remained Chief Minister of the Gilbert Islands until 1978. He also served as an MP from 1968 until his death.
Roniti Teiwaki is an I-Kiribati politician.