Mosese Bulitavu

Mosese Drecala Bulitavu is a Fijian politician and Member of the Parliament of Fiji. He is a member of the Social Democratic Liberal Party.

Bulitavu in 2016

In October 2011 Bulitavu was charged with sedition for graffiting billboards with anti-government slogans.[1][2] In March 2018 Bulitavu was convicted,[3] and subsequently sentenced to more than two years' jail.[4] The conviction was overturned on appeal, and a retrial ordered in August 2018.[5] The prosecution was discontinued in 2019.[6]

Bulitavu ran in the 2014 elections as a SODELPA candidate, winning 6,276 votes, making him the 4th highest-polling SODELPA candidate.[7] He was re-elected in the 2018 election,[8] winning 5342 votes.

On July 4 2019, Bulitavu made racist statements on his Facebook page that stabbing and killing was something the itaukei community learned from the 'vulagi', those who were brought in from India.[9] Bulitavu was subsequently condemned by Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama[10] and by other members of the SODELPA party,[11] and was subsequently questioned by police over allegations of hate speech.[12][13]

References

  1. "Fiji: Five Remanded On Sedition Charges". Pacific.Scoop. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  2. "Graffiti Trial Update: Defence lawyer wants Suva court to vacate hearing date of his client - the Sri Lankan born Kiwi citizen Jagath Karunaratne". Fijileaks. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  3. "Bulitavu, Karunaratne convicted". Fiji Times. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  4. "Seditious duo jailed for two years". Fiji Times. 30 April 2018.
  5. Jessica Savike (24 August 2018). "Retrial ordered in Bulitavu, Karunaratne sedition case". Fiji Times. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  6. "Mosese Bulitavu, Jagath Karunaratne Are 'Free At Last'". Fiji Sun. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  7. "Bulitavu Ready For Action". Fiji Sun. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  8. Talebula Kate (18 November 2018). "2018 General Election: SODELPA secures 21 seats". Fiji Times. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  9. Jyoti Pratibha (5 July 2019). "SODELPA MP Mosese Bulitavu Uses Stabbing Incident to Make Racist Statement". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  10. "PM Bainimarama blasts Bulitavu, says Fijians will not tolerate division". FBC News. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  11. Nemani Delaibatiki (8 July 2019). "Leading SODELPA Members Attack Bulitavu". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  12. "Fiji police question opposition MP". RNZ. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  13. Avinesh Gopal (13 July 2019). "Police Question SODELPA MP Bulitavu". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 25 June 2020.


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