Antonio Tanaburenisau
Encyclopedia
Antonio Tanaburenisau is a former Fiji
an politician. He won the Namosi
Fijian
Communal constituency
as a candidate of the Fijian Association Party
(FAP) in the general election
of 1999.
On 22 April 2005, Tanaburenisau pleaded guilty to charges of having taken an illegal oath of office as a member of the rebel Taukei Cabinet of George Speight
on 20 May 2000, while the Fiji coup of 2000
was at its height. He had been present in the Parliamentary complex, while gunmen led by Speight had forced their way into the complex. He had ignored directions from his party leader, Ratu
Tu'uakitau Cokanauto
, to leave the building, and instead had participated in discussions that led to the formation of the Taukei Cabinet the next day, with himself as Minister for the Environment.
At a second court appearance on 23 May 2005, he apologized to the coup victims, his constituency, and the nation.
On 16 August, Justice Anthony Gates
handed Tanaburenisau a two-year prison sentence, suspended on condition of continued good behaviour. Gates said that Tanaburenisau's role had been a relatively minor one, that he had gotten "carried away" and had acted without thinking of the consequences to himself or to his fellow-citizens. Gates said that he had taken Tanaburenisau's age into account, along with the fact that he had pleaded guilty, apologised, and expressed genuine remorse for his actions. Tanaburenisau thanked the court for the suspended sentence, saying that his offence warranted a custodial sentence. He said that he was deeply sorry that his own errors of judgement had caused so much pain.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an politician. He won the Namosi
Namosi (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji)
Namosi Fijian Provincial Communal is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 23 communal constituencies reserved for indigenous Fijians....
Fijian
Fijian people
Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown...
Communal constituency
Communal constituencies (Fiji)
Communal constituencies have been the most durable feature of the Fijian electoral system. In communal constituencies, electors enrolled as ethnic Fijians, Indo-Fijians, Rotuman Islanders, or General Electors vote for a candidate of their own respective ethnic groups, in constituencies that have...
as a candidate of the Fijian Association Party
Fijian Association Party
The Fijian Association Party is a former political party in Fiji. It played a significant role in Fijian politics throughout the 1990s, but lost all of its seats in the House of Representatives in the parliamentary election of 2001....
(FAP) in the general election
Fiji election of 1999
General elections were held in Fiji between 8 and 15 May 1999. They were the first election held under the revised Constitution of 1997, which instituted a new electoral system and resulted in Mahendra Chaudhry taking office as Fiji's first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister.-Electoral system:Previously,...
of 1999.
On 22 April 2005, Tanaburenisau pleaded guilty to charges of having taken an illegal oath of office as a member of the rebel Taukei Cabinet of George Speight
George Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, was the principal instigator of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which he kidnapped thirty-six government officials and held them from May 19, 2000 to July 13, 2000...
on 20 May 2000, while the Fiji coup of 2000
Fiji coup of 2000
The Fiji coup of 2000 was a complicated affair involving a civilian putsch by hardline Fijian nationalists against the elected government of a non-native Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to assert executive authority on 27 May, and...
was at its height. He had been present in the Parliamentary complex, while gunmen led by Speight had forced their way into the complex. He had ignored directions from his party leader, Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Tu'uakitau Cokanauto
Tu'uakitau Cokanauto
Ratu Tu'uakitau George Cokanauto is a Fijian chief and politician. He is the scion of a distinguished family, as a son of Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau , and brother of the Parliamentary Speaker, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau.- The 1999 election and aftermath :In the parliamentary election of 1999,...
, to leave the building, and instead had participated in discussions that led to the formation of the Taukei Cabinet the next day, with himself as Minister for the Environment.
At a second court appearance on 23 May 2005, he apologized to the coup victims, his constituency, and the nation.
On 16 August, Justice Anthony Gates
Anthony Gates
Anthony Harold Cumberland Thomas Gates is Acting Chief Justice of Fiji.-Early life:Gates was born in the United Kingdom and is a graduate of Cambridge University, and holds Australian citizenship. He had served as a volunteer teacher as a VSO in Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka...
handed Tanaburenisau a two-year prison sentence, suspended on condition of continued good behaviour. Gates said that Tanaburenisau's role had been a relatively minor one, that he had gotten "carried away" and had acted without thinking of the consequences to himself or to his fellow-citizens. Gates said that he had taken Tanaburenisau's age into account, along with the fact that he had pleaded guilty, apologised, and expressed genuine remorse for his actions. Tanaburenisau thanked the court for the suspended sentence, saying that his offence warranted a custodial sentence. He said that he was deeply sorry that his own errors of judgement had caused so much pain.