Simione Kaitani is a former

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 politician and

Cabinet Minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...

in the government of

Laisenia Qarase Laisenia Qarase (pronounced ; 4 February 1941 – 21 April 2020) was a Fijian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Fiji, sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After Republic of Fiji Military Forces, the military quashed the 2 ...

. He was tried for taking an illegal oath over 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 ...

in 2005, but acquitted. He later served as Leader of the House, until removed from office by the

2006 Fijian coup d'état The Fijian coup d'état of December 2006 was a coup d'état in Fiji carried out by Commodore (rank), Commodore Frank Bainimarama against Prime Minister of Fiji, Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and President Josefa Iloilo. It was the culminatio ...

. Kaitani was first elected to 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 ...

as an independent candidate to represent the Lomaiviti Fijian Communal constituency in the

1999 Fijian general election 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 later joined the Christian Democratic Alliance (VLV). The VLV disintegrated in the political realignment that followed the coup, but Kaitani joined the newly formed

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 ...

(SDL), and retained his seat in the

election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...

of 2001 as an SDL candidate. He was subsequently appointed to the Cabinet as Minister for Information. In that role, he introduced a Media Bill in an attempt to control the media. In November 2002 he was refused a visa to travel to the USA over his alleged involvement in the 2000 coup. In February 2003 Fijian police were reported to be considering sedition charges against Kaitani over a speech he gave to a protest march on the day of the coup. In July 2004 he was one of several prominent people named in the treason trial of Vice-President Jope Seniloli. In October 2004 Senator Adi Koila Nailatikau publicly accused him of involvement in the coup. He denied involvement. The police began an investigation, and in December 2004 he was charged with taking an illegal oath. Prime Minister

announced that Kaitani would retain his portfolio despite being charged. He was subsequently shifted to the position of Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation in a cabinet reshuffle on 16 December 2004. Kaitani was tried from June to August 2005. On 12 August 2005 a panel of assessors found him not guilty of taking na illegal oath. The verdict was confirmed by the court on 15 August 2005. In September 2005 Kaitani was relieved of his Cabinet portfolios to make way for Conservative Alliance leader Ratu

Naiqama Lalabalavu ''Ratu'' Naiqama Tawakecolati Lalabalavu, MBE (; born 23 December 1953) is a Fijian Paramount Chief and the current President of Fiji. He has served as the leader of the opposition and as Speaker of the Parliament of Fiji. On 31 October 2024 ...

, who had completed a prison sentence for coup-related charged. Kaitani remained in Cabinet as a Minister without portfolio. He was re-elected in the 2006 election and appointed Leader of the House. He remained in this position until the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaitani, Simione Year of birth missing (living people) Living people I-Taukei Fijian members of the House of Representatives (Fiji) People acquitted of treason Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua politicians Christian Democratic Alliance (Fiji) politicians Transport ministers of Fiji Information ministers of Fiji I-Taukei Fijian people Politicians from Lomaiviti Province