Ieremia Tabai

Jeremiah Tienang Tabai GCMG AO ( born December 16, 1950 in Nonouti, Gilbert and Elliceinseln ) is a politician from Kiribati, who not only first, while two-time President of Kiribati, but also several years Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum was.

Life

Born in what is now Kiribati Tabai studied post-school King George V School at Tarawa from 1969 to 1972 at St. Andrews College in Christchurch, New Zealand, and graduated in 1972 with a degree in Commerce Administration (Bachelor of Commerce) from Victoria University of Wellington from. After his return he was two years since 1973, employees in the public service as a Senior Assistant Accountant.

He began his political career in 1974 with the election of a member of the Assembly House maneaba ni Maungatabu ( House of Assembly ) of the Gilbert and Elliceinseln, a time for the UK gehörendem protectorate, and represented this constituency Nonouti.

Later he became a quasi leader of the opposition in a political system that was characterized more by loose coalitions of like-minded politicians than by formal political parties. During this time, he was a persistent critic of the centralist tendencies of the government of Chief Minister Naboua Ratieta. He denounced in particular its lavish plans for a costly army and the increasing Westernization of the government and lifestyles.

He extolled the virtues of the traditional culture of the Gilbert Islands, was elected speaker of the complaints of village copra farmers and criticized the government spending on the main atoll of Tarawa at the expense of the outer islands and atolls.

In March 1978, he was Chief Minister himself as the successor of Ratieta. In the subsequent period before the attainment of sovereignty from the United Kingdom, he proved to be a shrewd negotiator in the negotiations with the United Kingdom through a financial agreement. On the other hand, he shut himself against the claim that Banaba, formerly Ocean Iceland, Kiribati should be separated, although the island was completely destroyed due to the years of degradation of phosphate. After prolonged protests was part of the original population that had been in the interval by Rabi, a 2500 km remote Fijian island, spent 1979 return to the island again.

He led the Kiribati delegation for the Constitution Conference ( Constitutional Conference) in London in 1978. 1979 he was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II for Companien of the Order of St Michael and St George ( CMG).

After the independence of Kiribati, he was on July 12, 1979 the first president and held that office initially until 10 December 1982. Likewise 1982, the Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George ( GCMG ) to him by Queen Elizabeth II was awarded, where he renounced the usual salutation formula "Sir". On February 18, 1983 Tabai was again President of Kiribati and held that post until the end of the three constitutionally permissible legislative periods on 4 July 1991.

He then was in January 1992, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum and held this function for six years until January 1998.

1999 has been imposed on him a fine after he tried to establish an independent radio station. A year later he founded the newspaper Kiribati Newstar and has since been its editor. In addition, he is still a member in Parliament.

Jeremiah is married to Meleangi Kalofia from Tuvalu and has three children.

Writings

  • Jeremiah Tabai: Preparing the takeover. In: Politics in Kiribati. Kiribati Extension Centre, Tarawa / Institute of Pacific Studies of University of the South Pacific in 1980. ( Politics in the Pacific. 2 ), pp. 23-28.
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