Lenora Qereqeretabua | |
---|---|
![]() Qereqeretabua in 2020 | |
Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Fiji | |
Assumed office 24 December 2022 | |
Prime Minister | Sitiveni Rabuka |
Member of the
Fijian Parliament for NFP List | |
Assumed office 14 November 2018 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1 March 1968 Dravuni, Fiji |
Political party | National Federation Party |
Lenora Salusalu Qereqeretabua (born 1 March 1968) is a Fijian broadcaster and politician. In December 2022, she was elected deputy speaker of the Parliament of Fiji. She is a member of the National Federation Party (NFP).
Qereqeretabua was born in Dravuni, Kadavu Province, [1] and is the daughter of former Miss Fiji Eta Uluvula Qereqeretabua. [2] In 1988, following in the footsteps of her mother, Lenora was crowned Miss Fiji. Since 1995 she has anchored the Pacific Community's Pacific-wide news show, The Pacific Way. [3] [4] She also worked as a public relations consultant and serves on the board of Save the Children Fiji. [5] In 2015 was appointed to the National Flag Committee. [6]
In February 2018 she was announced as a candidate for the National Federation Party in the 2018 elections. [7] During the election campaign she advocated for women's rights and more women in parliament. [8] She won 1811 votes, winning the NFP's third seat in parliament. [9] As an MP she advocated for a more professional media [10] and the restoration of democracy in local government, [11] as well as for the use of the Fijian language in parliament. [12] In July 2019 she cut off her buiniga-styled hair to raise money for children with cancer. [13] In September 2019 she was criticised for "cursing" members of the FijiFirst regime and their descendants [14] after parliamentary staff who videoed Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama assaulting opposition MP Pio Tikoduadua were forced to resign. [15] In November 2019 she attended the Pacific Parliamentary Forum in New Zealand. [16]
She was re-elected in the 2022 Fijian general election [17] with 3741 votes. [18] On 24 December 2022 she was elected deputy speaker of the Parliament of Fiji, defeating Viliame Naupoto 28 votes to 27. [19]
In February 2024 Lenora Qereqeretabua revealed she had attempted suicide following cyber-bullying by Kishore Kumar. [20]
In 2019, Qereqeretabua became the first person to ever use profanity on the floor of the Fijian Parliament. She claimed that then- Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama uttered the following Fijian profanities to Pio Tikoduadua: [21]
… caiti tamamu, magai tinamu, sona levu and caiti iko.
Qereqeretabua gave literal translations of these terms. [21]
Fijian | English | |
---|---|---|
Literal translation | Rough English equivalent | |
Caiti tamamu | Have sexual relations with your father | Fuck your father, fatherfucker |
Magai tinamu | Your mother's vagina | Your mother's cunt, motherfucker |
Sona levu | An enlarged anus | Asshole |
Caiti iko | Have sexual relations with yourself | Go fuck yourself |
Therefore, while it is clear that, for example, the Fijian translation of the English word " fuck" is caiti, Qereqeretabua gave the literal translations (i.e "have sexual relations" for caiti) to avoid using unparliamentary language.
The Fiji Sun heavily criticised her usage of profanity in Parliament. [22]