Ofa Swann
Encyclopedia
Ofa Swann is a Fiji
an lawyer and politician. Originally from Vanua Balavu
in the Lau
archipelago
, Swann served in the House of Representatives
from 1999 to 2006. As of August 2006, she is Secretary of the Fiji Law Society
.
Swann is noted for remaining loyal to the NLUP after Kenneth Zinck
, the only other NLUP candidate elected to Parliament, defied orders from the party and joined the Cabinet
as Minister of Labour. Swann remained on the Opposition benches, where she gained a reputation as a strong debater.
Union Flag
to be removed from the Fijian flag
, and for the observance of Queen's Birthday to be discontinued as a national holiday
. She has also called for the removal of the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II
from Fiji's currency. Despite having been a republic
since 1987, Fiji has kept, for cultural and historical reasons, many of the trappings of its old connection to the British Monarchy
. "These are just some of the things that disturb me considering our drive to take ownership of our country and make a statement about us being Fiji Islanders," she said on 8 August 2005. It was time, she considered, to make a change.
In her dealings with other politicians, Swann is regarded as more moderate than many others, and has been known to defend her rivals against unfair attacks. On 23 September 2005, she defended Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase
against claims of racism. She said that such allegations were made by misinformed people, and that an analysis of government loans handed out to students, many of them Indo-Fijian, proved that he was not a racist.
Swann was elected to represent the Suva City
Open Constituency
in the House of Representatives
in 1999 as a candidate of the United General Party
(now the United People's Party), garnering 31.9% of the vote on the first count, and 56.2% after votes for minor candidates had been redistributed under Fiji's transferable voting system. She retained the seat in 2001 as a candidate of the newly formed New Labour Unity Party
(NLUP); this time the electorate was much more fractured and she polled only 12.5% of first-preference votes, but finished with 59.8% after the final distribution of preferences.
On 11 February 2006, the Fiji Sun
quoted Swann as saying that as the NLUP had been deregistered, she was considering joining another party or contesting the upcoming election
as an independent
candidate. She would announce a final decision after a round of meetings with her constituents starting in March
, she said. She reiterated on 23 February that she was still pondering her choices; she would confer with NLUP colleague Kenneth Zinck
and others before making a final decision, Fiji Live
quoted her as saying. One option was to join the ruling United Fiji Party (SDL), but was unsure whether she qualified as a candidate under the SDL constitution. On 8 March, she announced that she had finally decided to run as an independent. Running against several nationally known candidates, Swann was defeated, polling only 341 votes out of more than 12,000.
deposed the Fijian government on 5 December 2006. The new military authorities terminated Swann's membership of the board of the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji on 14 December.
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 lawyer and politician. Originally from Vanua Balavu
Vanua Balavu
Vanua Balavu is the second largest island in Fiji's Lau archipelago , and the main island of the Northern Lau Group.-Geography and infrastructure:...
in the Lau
Lau Islands
The Lau Islands of Fiji are situated in the southern Pacific Ocean, just east of the Koro Sea. Of this chain of about one hundred islands and islets, about thirty are inhabited...
archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
, Swann 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 1999 to 2006. As of August 2006, she is Secretary of the Fiji Law Society
Fiji Law Society
The Fiji Law Society is the official body that registers and regulates the activity of all lawyers in Fiji. Devanesh Sharma was elected to replace Graeme Leung as President of the Fiji Law Society on 9 September 2006, and as such he holds membership ex officio on the Judicial Service Commission...
.
Swann is noted for remaining loyal to the NLUP after Kenneth Zinck
Kenneth Zinck
Kenneth Vincent Zinck is a Fijian politician, who served in the Cabinet from 2001 to 2006 as Minister for Labour, Industrial Relations, and Productivity.- Elections of 1999 and 2001 :...
, the only other NLUP candidate elected to Parliament, defied orders from the party and joined the Cabinet
Cabinet (Fiji)
Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime...
as Minister of Labour. Swann remained on the Opposition benches, where she gained a reputation as a strong debater.
Policies and opinions
Swann is regarded as a strong Fijian nationalist, but in a national rather than a racial sense. She has called for the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
to be removed from the Fijian flag
Flag of Fiji
Prior to ceding the country to British rule in 1874, the government of Fiji adopted a national flag featuring blue and white vertical stripes, with in the centre a red shield depicting a white dove. This flag ceased to be used when the colonial era began and Fiji relinquished its independence...
, and for the observance of Queen's Birthday to be discontinued as a national holiday
Festivals in Fiji
Public holidays in Fiji reflect the country's cultural diversity. Each major religion in Fiji has a Public Holiday dedicated to it and is usually enjoyed by the nation as a whole as these days are usually those of sharing, giving and fun....
. She has also called for the removal of the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
from Fiji's currency. Despite having been a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
since 1987, Fiji has kept, for cultural and historical reasons, many of the trappings of its old connection to the British Monarchy
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
. "These are just some of the things that disturb me considering our drive to take ownership of our country and make a statement about us being Fiji Islanders," she said on 8 August 2005. It was time, she considered, to make a change.
In her dealings with other politicians, Swann is regarded as more moderate than many others, and has been known to defend her rivals against unfair attacks. On 23 September 2005, she defended Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase is a Fijian political figure. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase joined the Interim Military Government as a financial adviser on 9 June 2000, until his appointment...
against claims of racism. She said that such allegations were made by misinformed people, and that an analysis of government loans handed out to students, many of them Indo-Fijian, proved that he was not a racist.
1999 and 2001 elections
- See main articles: Fiji election of 1999Fiji election of 1999General 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,...
; Fiji election of 2001Fiji election of 2001The Constitution of Fiji was restored by a High Court decision on 15 November 2000, following the failure of the political upheaval in which the government had been deposed and the constitution suspended in May that year. On 1 March 2001, the Appeal Court upheld the decision. An election to...
Swann was elected to represent the Suva City
Suva City (Open Constituency, Fiji)
Suva City Open is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 25 open constituencies elected by universal suffrage . Like the other open electorates, it came into being in 1999 and was used for the parliamentary elections of 1999, 2001, and 2006...
Open Constituency
Open constituencies (Fiji)
Open constituencies represent one of several electoral models employed in the past and present in the Fijian electoral system. They derive their name from the fact that they are "open": unlike the communal constituencies, the 25 members of the House of Representatives who represent open...
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...
in 1999 as a candidate of the United General Party
United Peoples Party (Fiji)
The United Peoples Party is a political party in Fiji, whose support base lies chiefly among General Electors - Fiji Islanders who belong to ethnic minorities, such as Europeans, Chinese, Banaban Islanders, as well as multiracial people...
(now the United People's Party), garnering 31.9% of the vote on the first count, and 56.2% after votes for minor candidates had been redistributed under Fiji's transferable voting system. She retained the seat in 2001 as a candidate of the newly formed New Labour Unity Party
New Labour Unity Party (Fiji)
The New Labour Unity Party was a Fijian political party, which broke away from the Fiji Labour Party in May 2001. It was founded by Tupeni Baba, a former Deputy Prime Minister and Labour Party stalwart, who had become dissatisfied with Mahendra Chaudhry's leadership and expressed fears that if...
(NLUP); this time the electorate was much more fractured and she polled only 12.5% of first-preference votes, but finished with 59.8% after the final distribution of preferences.
2006 election
- See main article: Fiji election of 2006Fiji election of 2006The 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...
On 11 February 2006, the Fiji Sun
Fiji Sun
The Fiji Sun is a daily newspaper published in Fiji. Owned by Sun News Limited, it was first published in September 1999. An internet edition is also published....
quoted Swann as saying that as the NLUP had been deregistered, she was considering joining another party or contesting the upcoming 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...
as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidate. She would announce a final decision after a round of meetings with her constituents starting in March
March 2006
March 2006 is the third month of that year. It began on a Wednesday and 31 days later, ended on a Friday.-1 March 2006 :*Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase announces that the 2006 general elections will be held in the second week of May, from May 6 to May 13...
, she said. She reiterated on 23 February that she was still pondering her choices; she would confer with NLUP colleague Kenneth Zinck
Kenneth Zinck
Kenneth Vincent Zinck is a Fijian politician, who served in the Cabinet from 2001 to 2006 as Minister for Labour, Industrial Relations, and Productivity.- Elections of 1999 and 2001 :...
and others before making a final decision, Fiji Live
Fiji Live
Fijilive is an online newspaper and business and cultural directory in Fiji. The site is owned by the Future Group of Companies owned by Fiji entrepreneur Yashwant Gaunder....
quoted her as saying. One option was to join the ruling United Fiji Party (SDL), but was unsure whether she qualified as a candidate under the SDL constitution. On 8 March, she announced that she had finally decided to run as an independent. Running against several nationally known candidates, Swann was defeated, polling only 341 votes out of more than 12,000.
2006 coup
A military coup2006 Fijian coup d'état
The Fijian coup d'état of December 2006 occurred as a continuation of the pressure which had been building since the military unrest of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état and 2005-2006 Fijian political crisis....
deposed the Fijian government on 5 December 2006. The new military authorities terminated Swann's membership of the board of the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji on 14 December.