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Lynda Tabuya

The Honourable
Lynda Diseru Tabuya
MP
Tabuya in 2023
Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 December 2022
Prime MinisterSitiveni Rabuka
Preceded byRosy Akbar
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for SODELPA List
In office
14 November 2018 – 14 December 2022
Personal details
Political partyPeople's Democratic Party
Social Democratic Liberal Party
People's Alliance

Lynda Diseru Tabuya (born 1972) is a Fijian politician and lawyer who has served as the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation since 24 December 2022.[1]

Early life

Tabuya grew up in Wakanisila in Kadavu Province and is iTaukei.[2] She was educated at Yat Sen Primary School and Adi Cakobau School, before gaining a Bachelor of Laws from Bond University in Australia and a Master of Laws from Washington University in St. Louis, United States.[3] She worked at the University of the South Pacific as an assistant lecturer in law. She resigned from her role after being elected branch secretary for the People's Democratic Party's Suva branch.[4][5]

Tabuya was Miss Hibiscus 1996.[3]

Political career

In May 2014 Tabuya was elected president of the PDP.[6] She contested the 2014 elections as a PDP candidate, but was unsuccessful as the party failed to meet the 5% threshold. In March 2017 she was elected party leader, replacing Adi Sivia Qoro.[7]

In December 2017 the PDP announced an alliance with the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) to run candidates on their list in the 2018 parliamentary election.[8] Tabuya became a SODELPA candidate and subsequently resigned from the PDP.[9] During the election campaign she campaigned for a higher minimum wage and promised to be a "voice for employees" in parliament.[10][11] She also represented SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka in his electoral fraud trial.[12]

In the 2018 elections she was the highest-polling woman and 5th highest overall candidate.[13] She gave her first speech to parliament on 30 November 2018.[14] In March 2020 she was arrested and charged with breaching the Public Order Act over social media comments about the government's Covid-19 response.[15][16] She was acquitted of the charges in August 2020.[17] On 25 July 2021 she was arrested by Fijian police after criticising government moves to amend land legislation.[18]

On 7 January 2022, Tabuya announced she had tendered her resignation from SODELPA and would be joining the People's Alliance Party (PAP) - the party led by former Fijian Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka.[19] In May 2022 she was appointed deputy leader of the PA, alongside Daniel Lobhendahn and Manoa Kamikamica.[20]

She was selected as a PA candidate in the 2022 Fijian general election.[21] During the election campaign she was arrested by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption after allegedly soliciting prize money for a "rock the vote" event.[22][23] She was elected to Parliament, winning 11965 votes.[24][25] On 24 December 2022 she was appointed Minister for Women, Children, and Poverty Alleviation in the coalition government of Sitiveni Rabuka.[26]

In August 2024 Tabuya suggested restoring the death penalty to combat drug trafficking.[27]

References

  1. ^ Fijivillage. "Gavoka, Kamikamica and Pro Prasad are the deputy Prime Ministers". www.fijivillage.com. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Tabuya: What Racism Means". Fiji Sun. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  3. ^ a b Siteri Sauvakacolo (11 September 2016). "Lynda making every moment count". Fiji Times. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Lynda remains positive". Fiji Sun. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  5. ^ "FIJI: Clampdown on academic freedom of association at USP". Pacific Media Centre. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  6. ^ Rosi doviverata (5 May 2014). "Lynda Tabuya up for the task". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  7. ^ "People's Democratic becomes second Fiji political party to appoint a female leader". ABC. 2 March 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  8. ^ Wati Talebula (10 December 2017). "Parties Join Forces For 2018 Election". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  9. ^ "Tabuya calls for PDP followers to support Sodelpa". FBC. 11 December 2017. Archived from the original on 14 November 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  10. ^ Felix Chaudhary (4 November 2018). "Tabuya: Change is already here". Fiji Times. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  11. ^ Rohit Deo (30 October 2018). "Voice for workers needed in parliament: Tabuya". Fiji Times. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  12. ^ "Campaign continues after Rabuka found not guilty". RNZI. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  13. ^ Lice Movono (15 November 2018). "Tabuya leads women". Islands Business. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Maiden speech by the Opposition Whip, Lynda Tabuya". Fiji Times. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Fiji's Tabuya charged with breaching public order act". RNZ. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  16. ^ Fonua Talei (27 March 2020). "Lynda Tabuya, Doctor In Custody Overnight For Alleged Breach Of Public Order Act". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  17. ^ Ashna Kumar (17 August 2020). "SODELPA MP Lynda Tabuya Acquitted". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  18. ^ "Fiji opposition MPs taken in by police". RNZ. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  19. ^ "Tabuya quits Fiji's Sodelpa, joins Rabuka's party". RNZ. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  20. ^ Apenisa Waqairadovu (7 May 2022). "Tabuya and Lobhendahn appointed deputy PA leaders". FBC News. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  21. ^ Jone Salusalu (11 November 2022). "7 Women And 48 Men For The Peoples Alliance". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Rabuka condemns 'outrageous' arrests of deputy leaders so close to Fiji election day". RNZ. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  23. ^ Navitalai Naivalurua (6 December 2022). "People's Alliance Deputy Leaders Lynda Tabuya and Dan Lobendahn charged with vote buying and breach of campaign rules". Fiji Village. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  24. ^ Singh, Indira (18 December 2022). "Top 55 confirmed". FBC. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  25. ^ "Lynda Diseru Tabuya (405)". Fijian Elections Office. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  26. ^ Apenisa Waqairadovu (24 December 2022). "Siromi Turaga sworn in as new AG". FBC News. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  27. ^ "Fiji minister wants to 'explore the possibility of death penalty' to tackle drug crisis". RNZ. 21 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
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