International Community Pays Tribute To Fiji Islands’ Founding Father

"We have lost a giant among men"

Ratu Mara was one of the last surviving Pacific leaders to have led their countries to independence. In Fiji Islands he was revered as the Father of the Nation, a towering figure who was able to hold the nation together in the years following independence from the United Kingdom in 1970 after 96 years of colonial rule.
 
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon in his message of condolence said: Ratu Mara was a remarkable Fijian leader and statesman and a champion for the general welfare of the peoples of the Pacific Islands. His legacy as the architect of Fijian independence and one of the founding fathers of the South Pacific Forum, and his vision for a strong regional organisation in the Pacific to advocate important issues and assist island states, will no doubt continue.

Fiji's Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase said: We have lost a giant among men. It was he who took us into Independence and provided a sure and guiding hand as Prime Minister. Ratu Sir Kamisese became the symbol of our unity when he occupied the position of President.

"For as long as many of us could remember, he dominated our national life. His leadership was marked by discipline, vision and a keen and penetrating intellect. His dedication to this country was total. He worked tirelessly to make a unified nation from different communities; a nation to stand tall as a model of progress and harmony.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark, the current Chairperson of the Pacific Islands Forum, extended her people's sympathy to the Fiji Islands over the death of the leader known as the country's "grand old man" of politics. She said: He would be remembered as the father of independent Fiji and the Pacific, and as a man who commanded respect internationally. Ratu Mara was a High Chief and a distinguished leader of Fiji. He had a presence and impact that extended beyond his country as one of the Pacific region's most influential statesmen.

Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who takes over the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum later this year, said: Sir Kamisese Mara's vision and contributions were not only pivotal in nurturing Fiji's nationhood but in establishing co-operative arrangements between Pacific nations. He was a founding father of the South Pacific Forum and in his years of leadership, worked unsparingly to advance the objectives of the Forum institution. Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara's passing marks the end of an era for Fiji and our region.