Ratu Finau died on Wednesday after succumbing to an illness
The late Turaga na Tui Nayau Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara’s son, Ratu Alifereti Finau Mara, has passed away.
Lau Provincial Council chairman and member of the Vuanirewa chiefly clan, Ilisoni Taoba, confirmed this yesterday.
Ratu Finau’s parents were Ratu Mara and the Burebasaga Confederacy paramount chief Ro Lady Lala Mara.
Mr Taoba said Ratu Finau passed away on Wednesday morning after succumbing from an illness he was suffering from for quite some time. He said the people of Lau were mourning the untimely passing of a member of the chiefly household.
“We received the news this (yesterday) morning to confirm the passing of Ratu Finau,” Mr Taoba said.
“Since there are curfew restrictions and also the banning of mass gatherings, the Vuanirewa clan has not been able to sit and discuss on the funeral arrangements yet,” he said.
“We respect the Government’s restrictions in place and we will soon be making an announcement on how we will go about laying Ratu to rest.” He said Ratu Finau’s siblings were also discussing the funeral arrangements.
Nothing has been finalised yet. Ratu Finau Mara is survived by his wife Vitinia Buadromo and two children Adi Lawedua Mara and Ratu Salesi Kinikinilau Mara.
About Ratu Finau
Ratu Finau graduated from New Zealand’s University of Otago with an LLB (Law) degree in 1983 and a LLM (Master’s degree in Law) from Cambridge University in the United
Kingdom in 1986.
He had served as a Legal Officer in the Attorney-General’s Chamber from 1984, rising to Principal Legal Officer in 1986.
In 1987, he was appointed Fiji’s Chief Administrative Officer for Foreign Affairs, and in 1991 he became Chargé d’affaires at the Fijian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994 and served for a single term.
During this time, he held Cabinet office as Minister for Fijian Affairs from 1997 to 1999, during which time he also served as chairman of the Native Land Trust Board.
In 1999 he was appointed to a diplomatic post and later became a Roving Ambassador and High Commissioner in 2001.