|
Ratu Josefa Iloilo Uluivuda (born December 29, 1920) is the President of Fiji.
He was vice-president under Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara when Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry's government was overthrown by Fijian nationalists led by George Speight in the Fiji coup of 2000. He then became President after the hostage crisis was dealt with in July 2000. Legal experts consider that he was constitutionally the President as of 29 May, the date on which Ratu Mara had been removed from office by the military, and to which his resignation in December that year had been backdated.
Originally widely thought of as a stooge of the military, Iloilo has since won widespread respect among Fiji's diverse political factions and ethnic communities owing to his efforts to find, or even make, common ground among them. He has refused to intervene directly in the disputes among politicians, but has quietly reached out to disaffected factions, including the Indo-Fijian community. He is admired for his success in persuading the military to allow a return to democracy in 2001.
|
