predecessor nationality party office birth_date term_start image article_title name
frank bainimarama fijian fijifirst minister of foreign affairs 1948 july 2009 file jpg : ratu inoke kubuabola -lrb- cropped -rrb- . inoke kubuabola
 ratu inoke kubuabola
inoke kubuabola

`` ratu '' inoke kubuabola -lrb- born 1948 -rrb- is a fijian politician and cabinet minister .
he is currently the minister for foreign affairs .
kubuabola worked as an assistant manager for the new zealand insurance company in auckland and suva .
from 1975 to 1987 he was secretary of the south pacific bible society .
a fijian nationalist , he was involved in the planning of the 1987 fijian coups d'état .
following the coup he was appointed minister for information in the military government , and subsequently served as minister for information , broadcasting , television and telecommunication .
kubuabola was elected to parliament in the 1992 election as a candidate for the soqosoqo ni vakavulewa ni taukei -lrb- svt -rrb- and reappointed to cabinet as minister for youth , employment opportunities and sports .
he was re-elected at the 1994 election and was appointed minister for regional development and multi ethnic affairs .
in 1996 he was appointed minister of works , infrastructure and transport .
following the defeat of the svt government at the 1999 election and the subsequent resignation of its leader , the defeated prime minister sitiveni rabuka , kubuabola became leader of the svt and leader of the opposition .
under the 1997 constitution of fiji the leader of the opposition chose 8 of the 32 members of the senate , and kubuabola sparked controversy in the role by limiting his selection to members of opposition parties .
following the fiji coup of 2000 kubuabola was appointed minister for information and communications in the interim cabinet formed by laisenia qarase .
he held this office till september 2001 , when he lost his seat in the 2001 election .
that year he also resigned the chairmanship of the cakaudrove provincial council , which he had led for served years , to sitiveni rabuka .
