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Poseci Bune

Summary

Poseci Waqalevu Bune (9 September 1946[2] – 22 November 2023) was a Fijian civil servant, diplomat, politician and Cabinet Minister. He served as chair of the Public Service Commissioner, secretary to the Prime Minister, and as Fiji's permanent representative to the United Nations, as well as a Cabinet Minister in the governments of Mahendra Chaudhry and Laisenia Qarase, and in the military regime of Frank Bainimarama. Bune died of prostate cancer on 22 November 2023, at the age of 77.[3]

Poseci Bune
Bune in 1985
Minister for Public Service
In office
8 January 2007 – 5 January 2008
Prime MinisterFrank Bainimarama
Succeeded byFrank Bainimarama
Minister for the Environment
In office
24 May 2006 – 5 December 2006
Prime MinisterLaisenia Qarase
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forests
In office
1999 – 28 May 2000
Prime MinisterMahendra Chaudhry
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for Labasa Open
In office
1 September 2001 – 5 December 2006
Preceded byNareish Kumar
Succeeded byNone (Parliament disestablished)
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for Macuta
In office
15 May 1999 – 1 September 2001
Preceded byNone (constituency established)
Succeeded byIsireli Leweniqila
Personal details
Born(1946-09-09)9 September 1946[1]: 211 
Suva, Fiji
Died22 November 2023(2023-11-22) (aged 77)
Nadi, Ba Province, Fiji
Political partyChristian Democratic Alliance
Fiji Labour Party

Civil service edit

Prior to entering politics, Bune was career civil servant who held various senior civil positions, including Commissioner of the Western Division[4][5] and Public Service Commissioner.[6] In 1990, he became Secretary to the Government and Public Service, combining the roles of Public Service Commissioner and Permanent secretary to the Prime Minister.[7] In 1992 he was made permanent secretary of tourism, and then later permanent secretary of health.[8] From 1996 to 1999 he served as Fiji's ambassador to the United Nations.[9]

Political career edit

In 1998 Bune helped found the Christian Democratic Alliance (VLV). He contested the 1999 Fijian general election as a candidate for the party in the Macuata Fijian Communal constituency, and was elected to the House of Representatives of Fiji.[10] He was appointed to the People's Coalition Cabinet of Mahendra Chaudhry as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forests.[11] He was taken hostage in the 2000 Fijian coup d'état and held prisoner for 55 days until he was released on 13 July 2000.[12]

The VLV splintered following the coup, and Bune joined the Fiji Labour Party. He was re-elected in the Labasa Open Constituency at the 2001 election as an FLP candidate.[13] In May 2002 he accused the Qarase government of making racially-based diplomatic appointments.[14] He repeatedly called for the 2000 coup to be fully investigated[15] and for those responsible for forcing the resignation of Kamisese Mara to face treason charges,[16] and alleged that senior police were impeding investigations.[17] In May 2003 he called for military commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama's contract to be extended.[18] In August 2004 he accused Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase of having had advanced knowledge of the coup,[19] and filed a police complaint against him.[20] Qarase responded with legal action.[21]

Bune opposed the Qarase government's early release of coup plotters,[22] and the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill.[23]

In 2004 he was elected Deputy Leader of the FLP, and in February 2005 he was appointed deputy leader of the opposition, replacing Krishna Datt.[24]

Bune was re-elected in the 2006 election,[25][26] and appointed Minister for the Environment in Qarase's multi-party Cabinet.[27] The FLP suffered an internal rift over participation in Cabinet,[28] and in June 2006 he was one of a group of FLP officials who blocked party leader Mahendra Chaudhry's appointees to the Senate of Fiji.[29] Bune then claimed to be party leader, as Chaudhry had not been re-endorsed by the membership following the election,[30] and won the support of a majority of the party's MPs.[31] After being endorsed as party leader by President Iloilo, Chaudhry began the process to remove Bune from the party.[32] He was expelled from the FLP on 28 November 2006.[33] Under the Fijian constitution, Bune was set to forfeit his Ministerial role and his Parliamentary seat, subject to an appeal. The question was made moot, however, by the 2006 Fijian coup d'état that deposed the Qarase government on 5 December 2006, one day after his final expulsion from the Labour Party.

Following the coup, Bune called on Qarase and his supporters to accept the regime change and move aside to allow the country to "move forward", and warned then that deposed leaders never returned to power.[34]

On 8 January 2007 he was appointed to the military regime's interim cabinet as Minister of Public Services and Public Service Reform.[35][36] As Minister he purged the public service of those deemed uncooperative with the military regime,[37] lowered the retirement age to force cuts,[38] and attempted to cancel a pay increase authorised by the elected government.[39] He also part-privatised Radio Fiji,[40] drawing criticism after he appointed the younger brother of Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum as its new CEO.[41] He was replaced as a Minister in a cabinet reshuffle on 5 January 2008.[42][43]

Bune was later a founding member of the People's Democratic Party,[44] and served as the party's interim general secretary.[45] He stepped down once the party was registered, and was replaced by Sat Narayan.[46]

References edit

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Poseci Bune.
  1. ^ Field, Michael; Baba, Tupeni; Nabobo-Baba, Unaisi (2005). Speight of Violence : Inside Fiji's 2000 coup (PDF). Canberra: Pandanus Books. ISBN 9781740761703. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ Raqio, Mosese (22 November 2023). "Former Politician Poseci Bune passes on". Fiji Village. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  4. ^ "STARBOAT OTWAY IN THE WAKE OF THE LOVE BOAT". Royal Australian Navy News. 9 April 1982. p. 8. Retrieved 30 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Fiji braces for second cyclone". Canberra Times. 20 January 1985. p. 3. Retrieved 30 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "FIJI Professionals On The Run". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 59, no. 4. 1 April 1988. p. 12. Retrieved 30 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Fiji PS reshuffle". Canberra Times. 10 January 1990. p. 13. Retrieved 30 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "POLITICS-Fiji The new Rabuka". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 64, no. 4. 1 April 1994. p. 8. Retrieved 30 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "History of the Mission". Permanent Mission of the Republic of Fiji to the United Nations. Archived from the original on 22 November 2010.
  10. ^ "REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 8-15 MAY 1999". Psephos. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  11. ^ "Crossing Fiji's Can Chaudhry succeed where others have floundered?". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 69, no. 6. 1 June 1999. p. 29. Retrieved 30 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "The Fiji hostages". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  13. ^ "REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 25 AUGUST TO 1 SEPTEMBER 2001". Psephos. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  14. ^ "Former Fiji ambassador accuses government of racial appointments". RNZ. 15 May 2002. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  15. ^ "Fiji MP calls for coup plotters to be exposed". RNZ. 27 November 2002. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Fiji high chief seeks inquiry to presidential ouster after May 2000 coup". RNZ. 12 March 2003. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  17. ^ "Police investigations in Fiji's coup allegedly hampered by senior officers". RNZ. 3 February 2004. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Fiji's Labour Party wants military commander's contract extended". RNZ. 8 May 2003. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  19. ^ "Fiji MP says the prime minister had advance knowledge of the 2000 coup". RNZ. 4 August 2004. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  20. ^ "Fiji police receive complaint accusing PM of prior knowledge of 2000 coup". RNZ. 30 August 2004. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  21. ^ "Fiji PM to take legal action against Labour Party MP". RNZ. 2 February 2005. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  22. ^ "Criticism in Fiji over release of Lalabalavu and Dimuri". RNZ. 15 April 2005. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Fiji opposition MPs contest Qarase reconciliation bill". RNZ. 18 May 2005. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  24. ^ "Bune appointed Fiji's new deputy opposition leader". RNZ. 21 February 2005. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  25. ^ "REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 6 MAY 2006". Psephos. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  26. ^ "Open seats in Suva likely to be key in Fiji election result". RNZ. 16 May 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  27. ^ "Fiji Oppn party members sworn-in". Hindustan Times. 24 May 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  28. ^ "Cracks in the Fiji Labour party". RNZ. 27 June 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  29. ^ "Rift in Fiji Labour Party grows wider". RNZ. 28 June 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  30. ^ "Fiji Labour officials defy leader". RNZ. 29 June 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  31. ^ "More than half of Fiji Labour Party MPs back acting leader Poseci Bune". RNZ. 4 July 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  32. ^ "Four Fiji Labour MPs face dismissal from the party". RNZ. 6 July 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  33. ^ "Fiji Labour Party expels five of its members". RNZ. 29 November 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  34. ^ "Deposed Fiji minister says Qarase will never return". RNZ. 8 December 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  35. ^ "Chaudhry answers call to join forces with coup leader". Sydney Morning Herald. 10 January 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  36. ^ "Fiji's president appoints eight interim ministers". RNZ. 8 January 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  37. ^ "Fiji CEO contracts terminated". RNZ. 19 January 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  38. ^ "Fiji administration to lower pension age to 55". RNZ. 25 January 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  39. ^ "Standoff between Fiji public sector unions and interim administration escalates". RNZ. 7 February 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  40. ^ "Fiji administration to sell 49% of Radio Fiji". RNZ. 2 November 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  41. ^ "Qarase alleges nepotism in Radio Fiji top appointment". RNZ. 16 November 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  42. ^ "Nine cabinet ministers dropped in Fiji cabinet reshuffle". RNZ. 5 January 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  43. ^ "2008 Cabinet Reshuffle Announced". Fiji Village. 4 January 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  44. ^ "New leaders for Singh". Fiji Sun. 29 June 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  45. ^ "PDP registration approved". Fiji Village. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  46. ^ "Former policeman is PDP's new secretary". Fiji Sun. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2023.

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