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 r ...

'' Rakuita Saurara Vakalalabure (born 1962) is a

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 ...

an lawyer and former politician who served as Deputy Speaker of the

House of Representatives of Fiji The House of Representatives was the lower chamber of Fiji's Parliament from 1970 to 2006. It was the more powerful of the two chambers; it alone had the power to initiate legislation (the Senate, by contrast, could amend or veto most legislat ...

from 2001 to 2004. In August 2004 he was convicted of participation in the

2000 Fijian coup d'état The 2000 Fijian coup d'état was a civilian coup d'état by an armed group of indigenous Fijian nationalists supported by the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit, against the elected government of Indo-Fijian Prime Minister Mahendra Chau ...

and sentenced to six years' imprisonment. He was the son of Ratu Tevita Vakalalabure, who served in both houses of

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Education and early career

Vakalalabure studied at the

University of the South Pacific The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and is owned by the gov ...

for a science degree in 1981 but left in 1983 to join 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 ...

and completed six tours of duty with the Fijian Military in

South Lebanon Southern Lebanon () is the area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. The two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s. The Rashaya and Western Beqaa districts, the southernmost distr ...

reaching the rank of captain in the regular force. He went on to complete a

law degree A law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Some law degrees are professional degrees that are prerequisites or serve as preparation for legal careers. These generally include the Bachelor of Civil Law, Bachelor of Laws, an ...

Bond University Bond University is Australia's first private university, private not-for-profit university and is located in Robina, Queensland, Robina on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Since its opening on 15 May 1989, Bond University has primarily been a teachi ...

in Queensland and post`graduate diploma in legal practice from A.N.U Canberra, Australia. Later received his master's degree in Law ommercial and corporate law specializing in international trade and financefrom the University of London, England. After returning to Fiji, he served as a state prosecutor for four years under the then- Director of Public Prosecutions,

Nazhat Shameem Nazhat Shameem Khan (born 1960) is a Fijian diplomat, and former judge who served as the Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations from 2014 to 2022. She was also the President of the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2021. ...

and three years as Legal advisor and Board Secretary for the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji. Vakalalabure was also a reserve officer in the Fijian army, following secondment to the`civil service from the regular forces. He was dismissed by

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 ...

commander

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...

Frank Bainimarama Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama (; born 27 April 1954) is a Fijian former politician and naval officer who served as the prime minister of Fiji from 2007 until 2022. A member of the FijiFirst party, which he founded in 2014, he began his c ...

for

insubordination Insubordination is the act of willfully disobeying a lawful order of one's superior. It is generally a punishable offense in hierarchical organizations such as the armed forces, which depend on people lower in the chain of command obeying orde ...

, for refusing to return to barracks while the 2000 coup was in progress.

Political career and conviction

Vakalalabure was first elected to the

in a by-election in 1999. He was taken hostage in the

and accepted a role as Attorney-General in

George Speight George Speight (; born 1957), also known by his pseudonym Ilikimi Naitini, is a Fijian businessman and politician who was the leader of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état, in which he and rebel soldiers from Fiji's Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit sei ...

's government. He was re-elected in the

2001 Fijian general election General elections were held in Fiji in August and September 2001. The Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua party won 18 of the 23 seats reserved for ethnic Fijians and one of three " general electorates" set aside for Fiji's European, Chinese, and o ...

in the Cakaudrove West Fijian Communal Constituency as a candidate for the Conservative Alliance (CAMV). During the trial of George Speight for treason, pressure grew for others involved in the coup to face justice. In December 2002 the

Fiji Law Society The Fiji Law Society is the official body that registers and regulates the activity of all lawyers in Fiji. Historically, the President of the Fiji Law Society was a member ''ex officio'' of the Judicial Service Commission. The Fiji Law Society ...

charged him with professional misconduct over his role in the 2000 coup, accusing him of sedition and treason. In March 2003 he was accused by the prosecution in Speight's trial of being an integral part of the coup. Later that month he was arrested and charged with taking an illegal oath to commit a capital offence. In April 2003 he was banned from practicing law for professional misconduct. At his trial he claimed he had cooperated with the coup as he thought that Speight had effective control of the country. On 5 August 2004 he was convicted of taking an unlawful oath and sentenced to six years imprisonment. On 6 December 2004 he was formally expelled from Parliament for nonattendance. The seat was filled without a by-election in June 2005. Vakalalabure appealed against his sentence, and in June 2006 the Supreme Court reduced it to four years. He was subsequently released to serve the rest of his sentence extramurally. After completing his sentence Vakalalabure moved to the

Cook Islands The Cook Islands is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands whose total land area is approximately . The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers of ocean. Avarua is its ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vakalalabure, Rakuita 1962 births Living people Fijian chiefs I-Taukei Fijian members of the House of Representatives (Fiji) Bond University alumni Fijian soldiers Conservative Alliance-Matanitu Vanua politicians Politicians from Natewa Fijian rebels