Filimoni Vosarogo Explained

Filimoni Vosarogo
Office8:Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources
Primeminister8:Sitiveni Rabuka
Term Start8:24 December 2022
Constituency Mp11:PA List
Parliament11:Fijian
Term Start11:14 December 2022
Party:Social Democratic Liberal Party (2018–2021)
People's Alliance (2021–present)

Filimoni Wainiqolo Rasokisoki Vosarogo is a Fijian lawyer, politician, and Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the People's Alliance.

Vosarogo worked as a lawyer and civil servant, including as legal manager for the land Transport Authority. In December 2016 he was elected chair of Fiji National Rugby League.[1]

Vosarogo has appeared in a number of high-profile cases against the military regime and the FijiFirst government which succeeded it. In 2011 he represented former Fiji Land Force Commander, Brigadier General Pita Driti, in his trial for sedition and mutiny.[2] In 2019 he represented opposition MP Mosese Bulitavu in his retrial for sedition.[3] In May 2019 he represented Fiji Trades Union Congress secretary Felix Anthony after he was detained by police for attempting to organise a protest march against job cuts.[4] In 2020, he represented SODELPA MPs under investigation by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption.[5]

Political career

In August 2014 he was founding president of the One Fiji Party.[6] [7] He ran as a One Fiji candidate in the 2014 election campaign,[8] and during campaign he opposed the FijiFirst regime's classification of all citizens as "Fijian" and its non-recognition of iTaukei.[9]

During the 2018 Fijian general election he acted as lawyer for the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA).[10] In August 2020 he contested the SODELPA deputy leadership.[11] In December 2020 he was elected deputy leader, defeating Lynda Tabuya by one vote.[12] In February 2021 he opposed the government's deportation of University of the South Pacific vice-chancellor Pal Ahluwalia.[13] In March 2021 he called for Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission director Ahswin Raj to be fired over the FHRDC's failure to oppose the FijiFirst government's policing bill, which restricted human rights.[14]

In November 2021 he resigned from SODELPA to join the People's Alliance.[15] [16]

He contested the 2022 Fijian general election as a People's Alliance candidate.[17] During the election campaign he criticised the salaries paid to top public servants, such as land transport Authority CEO Samuel Charles Simpson,[18] claiming that the FijiFirst government was paying a "different brain rate" for non-Fijians.[19] Simpson subsequently quit shortly after the coalition government took office.[20]

He was elected to the Parliament of Fiji with 4408 votes.[21] On 24 December 2022 he was appointed Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources in the coalition government of Sitiveni Rabuka.[22]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vosarogo continues . Fiji Times . Maikeli Seru . 15 December 2016 . 30 December 2022.
  2. Web site: Driti case deferred as defence seeks disclosure from Fiji state . RNZ . 1 June 2011 . 30 December 2022.
  3. Web site: Mosese Bulitavu, Jagath Karunaratne Are ‘Free At Last’ . Fiji Sun . 4 April 2019 . 30 December 2022.
  4. Web site: Police search Fiji Trades Union Congress HQ . RNZ . 2 May 2019 . 30 December 2022.
  5. Web site: SODELPA Lawyer Ready To Represent Opposition MPs For FICAC Questioning . Fiji Sun . Fonua Talei . 26 August 2020 . 30 December 2022.
  6. Web site: Proposed One Fiji Party applies . RNZ . 8 July 2014 . 30 December 2022.
  7. Web site: Numbers, not name, reason for One Fiji party rejection . RNZ . 1 August 2014 . 30 December 2022.
  8. Web site: One Fiji Party names 18 candidates . FBC News . Shanal Sivan . 15 August 2014 . 30 December 2022.
  9. Web site: Party says consultation needed over 'Fijian' . RNZ . 21 August 2014 . 30 December 2022.
  10. Web site: Fiji opposition given 24 hours to serve election petition . RNZ . 12 December 2018 . 30 December 2022.
  11. Web site: Five-way contest for Fiji's SODELPA leadership . RNZ . 17 August 2020 . 30 December 2022.
  12. Web site: Fiji's Social Democratic Liberal Party leader Viliame Gavoka's focus ahead of 2022 election . RNZ . 3 December 2020 . 30 December 2022.
  13. Web site: USP is not Fiji’s university, says Vosarogo . Fiji Times . Luke Nacei . 4 February 2021 . 30 December 2022.
  14. Web site: Vosarogo: FHRADC director should be sacked . Fiji Times . Luke Rawalai . 20 March 2021 . 30 December 2022.
  15. Web site: Sodelpa's deputy leader quits in Fiji . RNZ . 30 November 2021 . 30 December 2022.
  16. Web site: Filimoni Vosarogo resigns from SODELPA . Fiji Times . Arieta Vakasukawaqa . 29 November 2021 . 30 December 2022.
  17. Web site: 12 proposed candidates for Rabuka’s party . FBC News . Litia Cava . 3 May 2022 . 30 December 2022.
  18. Web site: 2022 General Election: Simpson was paid $500k a year – Vosarogo . Fiji Times . Meri Radinibaravi . 10 December 2022 . 30 December 2022.
  19. Web site: ‘Different brain rate’ for expatriates, says Vosarogo . Fiji Times . Arieta Vakasukawaqa . 2 December 2022 . 30 December 2022.
  20. Web site: LTA CEO resigns . Fiji Times . Talebula Kate . 30 December 2022 . 30 December 2022.
  21. Web site: Filimoni Wainiqolo Rasokisoki Vosarogo (248) . Fijian Elections Office . 30 December 2022.
  22. Web site: Siromi Turaga sworn in as new AG . FBC News . Apenisa Waqairadovu . 24 December 2022 . 24 December 2022.

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