Ratu ''Ratu'' () is an Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, ''adi'' (pronounced ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language, the title ''ratu'' is also the traditional honorific title to re ...

Josefa Nalumuialevu Dimuri is a Fijian chief and politician, who served as a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...

from 2001 to 2006, when he was elected to the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

. Following the election, he was appointed Minister of State for Agriculture, Alternative Livelihood, and Outer Island Development.

Political career

A former Fiji Times journalist, Dimuri was appointed Minister of Information by the Rabuka government in 1993. He contested the Macuata Fijian Communal Constituency on behalf of then-

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Sitiveni Rabuka Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, (; born 13 September 1948) is a Fijian politician who has served as Prime Minister of Fiji since 24 December 2022. He was the instigator of two military coups in 1987. He was democratically elected as Prime Minis ...

's political party, the ''

Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei The Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei (SVT), occasionally known in English as Fijian Political Party, was a party which dominated the politics of Fiji in the 1990s and was the mainstay of coalition governments from 1992 to 1999. Origins The part ...

'' (SVT), but was defeated by the Christian Democratic Alliance candidate,

Poseci Bune Poseci Waqalevu Bune (born 1945/1946) is a former Fijian civil servant, diplomat, politician and Cabinet Minister. He has served as chair of the Public Service Commissioner, secretary to the Prime Minister, and as Fiji's permanent representativ ...

. In 2001, he contested the Bua-Macuata West Open Constituency, this time as a candidate of the newly formed Conservative Alliance (CAMV), and lost again. The Macuata Provincial Council, however, chose Dimuri to represent the province in the Senate. According to the non-defunct 1997 Constitution, fourteen Senators were chosen by the

Great Council of Chiefs The Great Council of Chiefs ''(Bose Levu Vakaturaga'' in Fijian) was a constitutional body in Fiji from 1876 to March 2012. In April 2007, the council was suspended, due to an unworkable relationship with Frank Bainimarama, leader of an "inte ...

, but in practice the Great Council chose to delegate this prerogative to Fiji's fourteen provincial councils, each of which chose one Senator. In April 2005 he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment over his role in the Sukanaivalu Barracks mutiny. He was released to serve his sentence extramurally after only 11 days, and subsequently allowed to return to his seat in parliament. He was elected in an open seat at the

2006 election The following elections occurred in the year 2006. * Elections in 2006 * Electoral calendar 2006 * 2006 Acehnese regional election * 2006 American Samoan legislative election * 2006 Bahraini parliamentary election * 2006 Costa Rican presidential ...

. He lost his seat following the 2006 Fijian coup d'état.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimuri, Josefa Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Fijian chiefs I-Taukei Fijian members of the House of Representatives (Fiji) I-Taukei Fijian members of the Senate (Fiji) Christian Democratic Alliance (Fiji) politicians Conservative Alliance-Matanitu Vanua politicians Agriculture ministers of Fiji Government ministers of Fiji Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua politicians Politicians from Macuata Province