Joeli Nabuka is a former Fiji

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, who served in the House of Representatives

House of Representatives (Fiji)

The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fiji's Parliament. It is the more powerful of the two chambers; it alone has the power to initiate legislation...

 from 2002 to 2006. He represented the Ba East

Ba East (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji)

Ba West 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...

, which he won for the ruling Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua

Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua

The Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua is a political party in Fiji...

 Party (SDL) in a byelection early in 2002, to fill the vacancy caused by the death in an automobile accident of his brother Epeli Seavula, also of the SDL.

Joeli Nabuka died after a short illness on 25 November 2010. He is survived by his wife and five children.

Background and career

Nabuka was originally from the village of Nakavu in Nadi from the Naduruniu Clan.

Joeli Nabuka was a former student and later became the Principal of Lelean Memorial School

Lelean Memorial School

Lelean Memorial School is one of the largest co-ed schools in Fiji today. It was established in 1943 and is run by the Methodist Church of Fiji. It is co-located at the Davuilevu Methodist Compound with the and the Young People's Department, which runs training for Methodist catechists...

. Nabuka also joined the Fiji Institute of Technology as the Registrar.

As a member of the Fijian Teachers' Association, Nabuka was appointed as research officer and his report on the Fijian Education Achievement is widely referenced by those carrying out research on the subject.

Nabuka announced on 11 February 2006 that he would be retiring from politics in parliamentary election

Fiji election of 2006

The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. The latest election was held on 6-13 May 2006. Acting President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi issued a proclamation on 2 March, effective from 27 March, dissolving Parliament...

, which was duly held on 6-13 May. He needed the time away from politics in order to pursue a postgraduate course at the University of the South Pacific

University of the South Pacific

The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...

, he said.