Litia Qionibaravi

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Adi
Litia Qionibaravi
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for SODELPA List
In office
14 November 2018 –14 December 2022
Personal details
Political party Social Democratic Liberal Party

Adi Litia Qionibaravi is a Fijian chief and former civil servant and member of the Parliament of Fiji. She is a member of the Social Democratic Liberal Party.

Contents

Early life

Qionibaravi is from Ucunivanua in Verata, Tailevu Province. [1] She trained as a lawyer, then worked as a civil servant, serving more than thirty years in the Fijian Affairs Ministry. [1] On 17 June 2005 she was appointed for a five-year term as chief executive officer of the Fijian Affairs Board (FAB). In this capacity, she oversaw the work of the country's fourteen Provincial Councils, the Fijian Affairs scholarship unit, and the Secretariat of the Great Council of Chiefs.

Qionibaravi was purportedly dismissed as FAB CEO by the military regime following the 2006 Fijian coup d'état. [2] Three armed soldiers had evicted her from her office in the building of the Native Lands Trust Board (NLTB), and she was replaced by dictator Frank Bainimarama's brother, Meli Bainimarama. [3] Neither Qionibaravi or the Great Council of Chiefs accepted her dismissal, and she continued to work from an improvised office in the Great Council of Chiefs Secretariat. [4] The Fijian Affairs Board formalized the termination of Qionibaravi's contract on 20 January 2007. The newly appointed board - consisting of five interim Cabinet Ministers and chaired by Ratu Epeli Ganilau, the Interim Minister for Fijian Affairs formally dismissed her at an emergency meeting called "to regularize the issue of Adi Litia," in Ganilau's words. [5]

Following her dismissal, the military regime accused her of corruption, claiming she had misused government funds to buy a personal vehicle and to pay the two workers renovating her house in Ma'afu Street, Suva. On 23 December, Qionibaravi replied that she was "shocked" to hear the allegations, but refused to comment further. [6] On 23 December she held a press conference and angrily denied the allegations, saying that she owned no house in Ma'afu Street; she had an FAB office there, she said. The car had been purchased with a loan approved by her superior, the Permanent Secretary for Fijian Affairs. [7]

Political career

Qionibaravi was appointed general secretary of the Social Democratic Liberal Party in February 2016. [8] As general secretary, she reformed the party constitution. [1] She was elected to parliament in the 2018 elections, winning 2,195 votes. [9] She was the Opposition nominee for the role of Deputy Speaker, but lost in a parliamentary vote to Veena Bhatnagar. [10] In her first speech to the House on 29 November 2018 she criticised the Fijian Parliament's ban on the use of the Fijian language in debate. [11] She stepped down as SODELPA general secretary at the party's 2019 AGM. [12]

In December 2020 she was charged by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption with providing false information to a public servant and obtaining financial advantage by lying about her place of residence to access parliamentary allowances. [13] The trial was repeatedly delayed due to Qionibaravi's ill-health, [14] [15] and is now expected to begin on 31 March 2023. [16]

On 25 July 2021 she was arrested by Fijian police after criticising government moves to amend land legislation. [17]

She did not run for re-election at the 2022 election, and retired. [18]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Jyoti Pratibha (15 August 2017). "Adi Litia Tipped To Get SODELPA ticket". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  2. ↑ "List of those sacked by military". Fiji Live. 13 December 2006. Archived from the original on 29 January 2007.
  3. ↑ "Fiji military announce more changes to key positions". RNZ. 13 December 2006. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "Sacked Fijian Affairs CEO, Adi Litia back in office". Fiji Village. 15 December 2006. Archived from the original on 17 December 2006.
  5. ↑ "Board formally replaces Adi Litia". Fiji Times. 20 January 2007. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "Adi Litia Denies Misuse of Public Funds". Fiji Village. 23 December 2006. Archived from the original on 27 December 2006.
  7. ↑ "Adi Litia refutes military claims". Fiji Times. 24 December 2006. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012.
  8. ↑ "SODELPA appoints new interim General Secretary". Newswire Fiji. 3 February 2016. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  9. ↑ Talebula Kate (18 November 2018). "2018 General Election: SODELPA secures 21 seats". Fiji Times. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  10. ↑ Vakasukawaqa, Arieta (2018-11-25). "Opposition nomination defeated, Bhatnagar appointed Deputy Speaker". FijiTimes. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  11. ↑ "Maiden speech by Opposition MP, Adi Litia Qionibaravi". Fiji Times. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  12. ↑ "Adi Litia to step down as SODELPA's general secretary". Fiji Times. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  13. ↑ "Seven Fijian MPs granted bail after appearing in court to face fraud charges". RNZ. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  14. ↑ "Adi Litia Medicallly Unfit To Attend, Lawyer Tells Court". Fiji Sun. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  15. ↑ "FICAC to provide own report on Adi Litia's health". Fiji Times. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  16. ↑ "Adi Litia Qionibaravi's Case Moved To March 31". Fiji Sun. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  17. ↑ "Fiji opposition MPs taken in by police". RNZ. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  18. ↑ Fijivillage. "SODELPA announces 54 proposed candidates for the 2022 General Election". www.fijivillage.com. Retrieved 2022-12-25.
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