View source for Leo Keke

{{Short description|Nauruan lawyer and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =[[The Honourable]]
|name = Leo Keke
|honorific-suffix =[[Member of parliament#Nauru|MP]]
|image =
|constituency_MP = [[Yaren Constituency|Yaren]]
|parliament = Nauruan
|term_start = 1976
|term_end = 1980
|predecessor = Alfred Dick
|successor  = [[Pres Nimes Ekwona]]
|birth_name =
|birth_date = {{birth date|1947|8|10|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Yaren District]], [[Nauru]]
|death_date = {{death date and age|2012|11|8|1947|8|10|df=y}}
|death_place = [[Brisbane]], [[Australia]]
|nationality =
|spouse = {{marriage|Lilva Stephen|1985}}
|party =
|relations =
|children =
|residence =
|alma_mater = {{ubl|[[St Joseph's College, Melbourne|St Joseph's College]]|[[University of Tasmania]]}}
|occupation =
|profession =
|religion =
|signature =
|website =
|footnotes =
}}
'''Leo Depagadogi Keke''' (10 August 1947{{snds}}8 November 2012) was a [[Nauru]]an lawyer and politician. Keke was the first Nauruan lawyer. He served as an MP from 1976 to 1980. He was minister of justice from 1979 to 1980.
==Biography==
Leo Keke was born on 10 August 1947, in the [[Yaren District]] of Nauru.<ref name="early">{{cite book|date=1991|title= Who's Who in Asian and Australasian Politics, First Edition |trans-title= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ge25AAAAIAAJ|page=138|language=English |location= |publisher=[[Bowker-Saur]]|isbn=}}</ref> He was the brother of [[Ludwig Keke]], Nauru's first university graduate.<ref name = "first"/> Leo Keke first graduated from [[St Joseph's College, Melbourne|St. Joseph's College]], and then went on to graduate with a law degree from the [[University of Tasmania]] in 1972.<ref name="early"/><ref name = "commission"/> By 1974, Keke was admitted as a barrister and solicitor by the [[Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory]]. He was the first Nauruan lawyer.<ref name = "first">{{Cite journal |date=1 April 1974|title=People|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-333297496/view?sectionId=nla.obj-356512046&partId=nla.obj-333406090#page/n13/mode/1up|journal=[[Pacific Islands Monthly]]|issue=45|page=8}}</ref> He was ultimately admitted to practice law in the [[Supreme Court of Nauru]] as well as the [[High Court of Australia]]. He practiced law with [[Ashurst Australia|Blake & Riggall]] in [[Melbourne]] as a solicitor.<ref name = "commission"/>
Keke was a member of the Nauru Party.<ref name = "deputy">{{Cite journal |date=1 January 1978|title=Nauruans vote to "legalise" a palace revolution|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-335670856/view?partId=nla.obj-335675583#page/n30/mode/1up/|journal=[[Pacific Islands Monthly]]|issue=49|page=31}}</ref> He was first elected to [[Parliament of Nauru|parliament]] in [[1976 Nauruan parliamentary election|1976]].<ref name = "early"/> He represented the [[Yaren Constituency]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gillett|first=S.|date=20 December 1976|title=DECLARATION OF POLL|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/9809b4e654635639d4e137647e53276c.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=65|page=4}}</ref> He was re-elected in [[1977 Nauruan parliamentary election|1977]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jones|first=Peter Lionel|date=14 November 1977|title=DECLARATION OF ELECTION|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/4f70f977c47545a2e5624683afdf5221.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=81|page=4}}</ref> That year, he was elected deputy speaker, unopposed, serving under the Speaker [[David Peter Gadaraoa]] for the year.<ref name="early"/><ref name = "deputy"/> On 5 January 1978, Keke was appointed as Minister of Works and Community Service by President [[Bernard Dowiyogo]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dowiyogo|first=Bernanrd|date=6 January 1978|title=ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/e3ce75c643257c04d31bd0dad050703a.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=3|pages=1–2}}</ref> On 29 April 1979, Keke was appointed as [[Ministry of Justice and Border Control (Nauru)|Minister of Justice]] by President [[Hammer DeRoburt]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=DeRoburt|first=Hammer|date=30 April 1979|title=ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/5044120d4bd6fec9d6ad2dfea55d15cd.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=30|pages=2–3}}</ref> He served in that role until 1980.<ref name="early"/> Keke was defeated in his attempt at re-election in [[1980 Nauruan parliamentary election|1980]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Star|first=T. W.|date=8 December 1980|title=DECLARATION OF ELECTION|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/97bcb4fbb4480a1468344f41cb7f191c.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=81|pages=6–7}}</ref> His loss, along with two other prominent MPs' losses, in the 1980 election was characterized as a surprise by ''[[Pacific Islands Monthly]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1 February 1981|title=Surprises in Nauru Poll|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-341965417/view?partId=nla.obj-341971162#page/n4/mode/1up|journal=[[Pacific Islands Monthly]]|issue=52|page=31}}</ref> He unsuccessfully ran for parliament again in [[1983 Nauruan parliamentary election|1983]], [[2003 Nauruan parliamentary election|2003]], and [[2004 Nauruan parliamentary election|2004]], as well as in a [[List of Nauruan parliamentary by-elections#1984 Yaren election|by-election in 1984]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Star|first=T. W.|date=5 December 1983|title=DECLARATION OF ELECTION|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/1823879c51eca001b7f746b780440377.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=67|page=3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Star|first=Tamaiti Willie|date=5 May 2003|title=DECLARATION OF ELECTION|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/31983d08c81aa841ed104707bb3e9355.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=35|page=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Solomon|first=Camilla|date=23 October 2004|title=GENERAL PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION 2004|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/ffd6fdb232eb9226dd745c63a19e54a5.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=87|page=3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jetlie|first=J. L.|date=14 June 1984|title=DECLARATION OF ELECTION|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/d10d0bee84d00b95e79a535d14de15ef.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=37|page=1}}</ref>
Keke served as secretary for external affairs from 1981 to 1983. He served as secretary for island development and industries in 1983. He served as head of the legal and political division of the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation (now the [[Pacific Islands Forum]] Secretariat) from 1988 to at least 1991.<ref name="early"/><ref name = "commission"/> From at least 1992 to 1994, Keke served as the [[President of Nauru|president]]'s legal counsel.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1 July 1992|title=Nauru's experience after strip-mining|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-340763030/view?sectionId=nla.obj-344876928&partId=nla.obj-340781509#page/n28/mode/1up|journal=[[Pacific Islands Monthly]]|issue=62|page=27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Emiu|first=Kelly D.|date=13 October 1993|title=APPOINTEMNT OF ACTING SECRETARY FOR JUSTICE|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/5b147f52a771622307c1f4499ad2deba.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=54|page=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Keke|first=Leo D.|date=2 March 1994|title=APPOINTMENT OF SECRETARY FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/630c8d28bd6f83654e05d16b026aa879.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=12|page=1}}</ref>
Keke became engaged to Lilva Stephen of the [[Ewa District, Nauru|Ewa District]] on 7 February 1985.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Detudamo|first=Cr. R. B.|date=13 February 1985|title=ENGAGEMENT TO MARRY|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/19e49d4c2defcc5206fb230b24f85749.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=8|pages=4–5}}</ref> The couple was married by Rev. [[Itubwa Amram]] on 9 February 1985.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cain|first=M. B.|date=14 August 1985|title=MARRIAGES|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/2a03b7e2e8c1e339fd8ad09c98a71de3.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=36|page=7}}</ref>
Keke served as president of the Nauru Judo Federation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.intjudo.eu/News/cikk2323|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305182814/www.intjudo.eu/News/cikk2323|title=The IJF Mourns Nauru Judo President, Mr. Leo Keke|publisher=[[International Judo Federation]]|date=13 November 2012|page=1|archive-date=5 March 2016|accessdate=15 August 2024}}</ref> He was also a member of the executive board of the [[Nauru Olympic Committee]] and the [[Commonwealth Games Association]].<ref name = "commission">{{cite web|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/other_documents/4337d765c9d82dd4c0925449434e4c5a.pdf|title=The Nauru Constitutional Review Commission Report|work=|date=28 February 2007|page=202|accessdate=15 August 2024}}</ref>
Keke died in [[Brisbane]] on 8 November 2012.<ref>{{cite web|author=[[Parliament of Nauru]]|url=http://www.nauru.gov.nr/media/30559/no._26__v__first-seventeenth-twentieth.pdf|title=Votes and Proceedings of the Twentieth Parliament No. 26|work=|date=21 December 2012|page=1|accessdate=15 August 2024}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keke, Leo}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:Nauruan lawyers]]
[[Category:Justice ministers of Nauru]]
[[Category:Public works ministers of Nauru]]
[[Category:Nauruan expatriates in Australia]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Nauru]]
[[Category:People from Yaren District]]
[[Category:University of Tasmania alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Nauruan politicians]]