I intend to listen to and to work with each one of you, said newly elected Speaker of Parliament, Filimone Jitoko.
He was elected to the position this morning after winning a majority vote of 34-15.
“I take on this responsibility with the hope that I will be able to follow the footsteps of the previous illustrious occupants of this chair,” he said.
“I intend to listen to and to work with each one of you.”
“In my humble view, the seat I now occupy is one that is entrusted with the highest level of responsibility.”
In 1980, Mr. Jitoko earned certificates in Multilateral Negotiations (New York) and International Diplomacy (Washington, D.C.), serving as Fiji’s Secretary to the New York and Washington Mission shortly thereafter. Upon his return to Fiji, he held the position of Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court from 1985 to 1987.
Mr. Jitoko was later appointed Solicitor General to the Fiji Government, where he served for six years, before becoming Secretary to Cabinet from 1993 to 1996. His diplomatic career followed, with postings as Fiji’s Ambassador to Israel, Brussels, and Denmark.
In 2002, Mr. Jitoko returned to Fiji as a High Court Judge, serving until 2009. His contributions continued internationally, serving as Chief Justice of the Nauru Supreme Court from 2000 to 2017, where he also held the role of Registrar from 2015 to 2017.
