Lynda Tabuya
Lynda Diseru Tabuya (born 1972) is a Fijian politician and lawyer. Early life. Tabuya grew up in Wakanisila in Kadavu Province and is iTaukei. She was educated at Yat Sen Primary School and Adi Cakobau School, before gaining a Bachelor of Laws from Bond University in Australia and a Master of Laws from Washington University in St. Louis, United States. She worked at the University of the South Pacific as an assistant lecturer in law. She resigned from her role after being elected branch secretary for the People's Democratic Party's Suva branch. Tabuya was Miss Hibiscus  1996. Political career. In May 2014 Tabuya was elected president of the PDP. She contested the 2014 elections as a PDP candidate, but was unsuccessful as the party failed to meet the 5% threshold. In March 2017 she was elected party leader, replacing Adi Sivia Qoro. In December 2017 the PDP announced an alliance with the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) to run candidates on their list in the 2018 parliamentary election. Tabuya became a SODELPA candidate and subsequently resigned from the PDP. During the election campaign she campaigned for a higher minimum wage and promised to be a "voice  for employees" in parliament. She also represented SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka in his electoral fraud trial. In the 2018 elections she was the highest-polling woman and 5th highest overall candidate. On 25 July 2021 Tabuya was arrested by Fijian police after criticising government moves to amend land legislation. On 7 January 2022, Tabuya announced she had tendered her resignation from SODELPA and would be joining the People's Alliance Party (PAP) - the party led by former Fijian Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka.