Peni Volavola

Who is Peni Volavola?

Captain Ratu Peni Volavola is the Lord Mayor of the Fijian capital of Suva.

Volavola, a Councillor representing the Tamavua ward, was elected Lord Mayor in 2003, under a memorandum of understanding between of his United Fiji Party and the National Federation Party of his predecessor, Chandu Umaria, according to which the two parties agreed to hold the Mayoralty for one year each, with the parties choosing the Lord Mayor jointly in the third year. The coalition collapsed in 2004, however, forcing Volavola to forge a new coalition. In a rare display of cooperation between the SDL and the Fiji Labour Party, its main rivals at the national level, five FLP councillors voted for Volavola to remain in office. Vinod Lal of the FLP was elected as his deputy.

Volavola's reelection came in the face of criticism from Umaria that he had not built a single bus shelter during his first term as Mayor, a criticism that Volavola acknowledged, but defended citing the absence of funding. Umaria reiterated the charge during the municipal election campaign of November 2005. Volavola counter-attacked by accusing Umaria of mismanagement and abuse of public funds amounting to almost F$8 million while he was Lord Mayor, and on 11 November it was reported that Umaria was suing him for defamation.