Adi Mere Tuisalalo Samisoni (28 July 1938 – 11 August 2023) was a Fijian businesswoman and politician, from

Lomaloma Lomaloma (; officially ''Lomaloma Tikina'', ) is a village at the south of the island of Vanua Balavu in the Lau Islands, Lau archipelago of Republic of Fiji, Fiji. The settlement is part of the tribal district of Tikina, Lomaloma and consist ...

villageAi Vola Ni Kawa Bula, Tokatoka No.7 on the island of

Vanua Balavu Vanua Balavu (pronounced ) is the third largest island in Fiji's Lau archipelago, and the main island of the Northern Lau Group. Geography and infrastructure This coral and volcanic island has a land area of . Its maximum elevation is . The isl ...

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

's Lau archipelago. Samisoni was formerly a member of Parliament for the opposition party SODELPA. She served as mayor of Lami and as a member of the now-defunct

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

Politics

In March 2018, Samisoni was sworn in as the newest opposition member of Parliament under the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA), succeeding the late Ratu Sela Nanovo. During the 2014 elections, Samisoni polled 1855 votes. Samisoni won the Lami Open Constituency for the ruling

Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua The United Fiji Party (, , SDL) was a list of political parties in Fiji, political party in Fiji. It was founded in 2001 by Prime Minister of Fiji, Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase as a power base; it absorbed most of the Christian Democratic Alli ...

Party (SDL) at the

parliamentary election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...

held on 6–13 May 2006.Websit
Fiji Live
2006 Elections Results It was her third attempt to win the seat; her previous campaigns in

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

and

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

for the SVT Party had been unsuccessful.

Later history

In the wake of the

military coup A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

that overthrew the government on 5 December 2006, Samisoni, Daily Post General Manager Mesake Koroi, and others, were detained by soldiers for questioning at

Suva Suva (, ) is the Capital city, capital and the most populous city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rew ...

's Queen Elizabeth Barracks. No reason was given for the questioning, but Samisoni had written a letter unsympathetic to the

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

to the

Fiji Times ''The Fiji Times'' is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869 by George Littleton Griffiths, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating. ''The Fiji Times'' is owned by Motibhai Gr ...

earlier in the week. In a letter to the

Fiji Sun ''Fiji Sun'' is a daily newspaper published in Fiji since September 1999 and owned by Sun News Limited. ''Fiji Sun'' was founded by and is part of CJ Patel Group. The Fiji Sun has its main newsroom in Suva, Fiji. Its print center remains in subu ...

published on 15 December, Samisoni claimed that soldiers had told her that if she did not discontinue writing letters critical of the military regime to newspapers, she would be imprisoned on Nukulau Island. In April 2009, Samisoni was awarded a Doctorate of Business Administration by the University of the Sunshine Coast. In 2013, Samisoni's case was in the news again, when the Fiji government hired criminal attorney Clive Grossman to argue a jurisdictional matter related to the charges against Samisoni. Samisoni was represented by prominent human rights barrister, Sir Peter Williams QC and later by his widow,

Lady Heeni Phillips ''Lady'' is a term for a woman who behaves in a polite way. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the female counterpart of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. "Lady" is al ...

, who won the case. The case was closed in 2016 in a

voir dire (; often ; from an Anglo-Norman term in common law meaning "to speak the truth") is a legal term for procedures during a trial that help a judge decide certain issues: * Prospective jurors are questioned to decide whether they can be fair and i ...

hearing when the state voluntarily dropped its case

Personal life and death

Samisoni was the second youngest daughter of Ratu Keni Naulumatua, who held the title of ''

Turaga na Rasau ''Turaga na Rasau'' is a traditional Fijian House of Chiefs (Fiji), chiefly title of the Lau Islands. Prior to Fiji's colonial days, Fiji had many different Vanua with their own Paramount Chieftain which exercised no authority over the other; a s ...

'', and his first wife, Mere Tuisalalo Fonolahi. She held Doctorate and Master's degrees in Business Administration and resided in

Fiji's Capital. She was well known for establishing a successful chain of bakeries throughout Fiji called Hot Bread Kitchen,Fiji Times, Price of flour, sharps go up, AQELA LALAKATO, Monday, 10 December 2007, article notes her as owner of the Hot Bread Kitchen Franchise and was married to the late Jimione Isimeli Samisoni of

Rotuma Rotuma () is a self-governing heptarchy, generally designated a Local government in Fiji, dependency of Fiji. Rotuma commonly refers to the Rotuma Island, the only permanently inhabited and by far the largest of all the islands in the Rotuma Gro ...

, a doctor, lecturer, and former dean of the

Fiji School of Medicine The Fiji School of Medicine is a tertiary institution based in Suva, Fiji. Originally established in 1885 as the ''Suva Medical School''. FSM became the College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences as part of Fiji National University in 2010. It ...

''Fiji Times'', 26 April 2007, Title: "Dedicated to science, health" by Dr Joji Malani and Others who had a great influence in the medical fraternity in Fiji and the Pacific. Together they had four children. Mere Samisoni died on 11 August 2023, at the age of 85.

Footnotes

References

*20th Century Fiji, edited by Stewart Firth & Daryl Tarte - 2001 - , ''(Reference article on Mere Samisoni)'' *Ai Vola Ni Kawa Bula, Reference to her connection to Chiefly family, The names and birth and death Register of Native Landowners details are as follows: Yavusa Buca, Tokatoka No.7 – Valelevu, Koro: Lomaloma, Tikina: Lomaloma, Yasana: Lau, from the Native Lands and Fisheries Commission – records as of 19 July 2005 *A web link reference regarding details o
the Native Lands and Fisheries Commission
and th

*Lau Islands, Fiji By A.M Hocart, Published by the Bishop Museum, Hawaii (1929), this book has detailed references to her fathers Rank and Title and her Father Ratu Keni Naulumatua. * Newspaper Article; Title: Fiji Born Actor dies, Content: Talks in reference to

Manu Tupou Manu Tupou (January 5, 1935 – June 5, 2004) was an United States, American-based Fijian actor, writer, director, and teacher. Early life Manu Tupou was born on Lomaloma, Lau Islands, Lau, Fiji Islands. Education Tupou trained as an actor for ...

the Hollywood actor, of his ties with Lomaloma with reference to Ratu Mara and Adi Mere(''Mere Samisoni's Mother'') and Ratu Dreunimisimisi, 200
Fiji Times
Saturday 12 June, Fiji Times Archives *Weblink reference t
recent events.

External links

Ministerial Profile Of Mere Samsoni

an

{{DEFAULTSORT:Samisoni, Mere 1938 births 2023 deaths I-Taukei Fijian members of the House of Representatives (Fiji) Mayors of Lami, Fiji Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua politicians Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei politicians I-Taukei Fijian people Politicians from Vanua Balavu