Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu has praised the late Dr. Tupeni Lebaivalu Baba as a champion for freedom and democracy.
“Every now and then an individual rises from within us to become a shining light to society. The late Dr. Baba was one of those,” said Mr. Seruiratu in a tribute to the former politician and academic.
The Opposition Leader also emphasized the influence Dr. Baba had on his students throughout the years.
“As an academic, he initiated meaningful connections through academia, inspiring many young Fijians to grow and blossom, leaving lasting impressions on society. He left much of himself in those, in Fiji and around the Pacific, who learned under his tutelage and who have grown to assume leadership roles in their various communities.”
Mr. Seruiratu remarked that the late Dr. Baba’s political ideology emphasized pluralism and inclusivity.
“This was evident in his political affiliations, being a founding member of the Fiji Labour Party, serving as a cabinet minister in the government of Dr. Timoci Bavadra, and later as one of the two Deputy Prime Ministers in the government of Mahendra Chaudhry prior to 2000.”
“Fiji has lost a son, and a great man, but we take solace in the fact that his good works will never be erased. He was indeed a rare scholar and intellectual, and a political figure, badly needed to continuously hold the feet of polity in Fiji.”