View source for Ofa Swann

{{Short description|Fijian lawyer and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
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| name                = Ofa Swann
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| constituency_MP11   = [[Suva City (Open Constituency, Fiji)|Suva City]]
| parliament11        = Fijian
| term_start11        = 15 May 1999
| term_end11          = 13 May 2006
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| birth_place         = [[Vanua Balavu]], [[Fiji]]
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| party               = [[United Peoples Party (Fiji)|United General Party]] <br /> [[New Labour Unity Party]]
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'''Ofakilomaloma Swann''', also known as '''Ofa Duncan''',  is a [[Fiji]]an lawyer, academic, and former politician.<ref>{{cite web |title=Government Senator unfit for leadership |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/140687/government-senator-unfit-for-leadership |access-date=24 March 2023 |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=30 August 2002}}</ref> She served in the [[House of Representatives of Fiji]] from 1999 to 2006, and was leader of the [[New Labour Unity Party]].
Swann is from [[Vanua Balavu]] in the [[Lau Islands]]. She was elected to represent the [[Suva City (Open Constituency, Fiji)|Suva City]] [[Open constituencies|Open Constituency]] in the [[House of Representatives of Fiji|House of Representatives]] in 1999 as a candidate of the [[United Peoples Party (Fiji)|United General Party]] (now the United People's Party), garnering 31.9% of the vote on the first count, and 56.2% after votes for minor candidates had been redistributed under Fiji's [[Instant-runoff voting|transferable voting]] system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/f/fiji/fiji19995.txt |title=REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 8-15 MAY 1999 |publisher=Psephos |access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref>  She retained the seat in 2001 as a candidate of the newly formed [[New Labour Unity Party]] (NLUP); this time the electorate was much more fractured and she polled only 12.5% of first-preference votes, but finished with 59.8% after the final distribution of preferences.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/f/fiji/fiji20015.txt |title=REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 25 AUGUST TO 1 SEPTEMBER 2001 |publisher=Psephos |access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref> She was subsequently elected Deputy Leader of the Opposition.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/139458/fiji-deputy-opposition-leader-calls-for-resignation-of-some-members-of-cabinet |title=Fiji deputy opposition leader calls for resignation of some members of cabinet |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=18 May 2002 |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref> When [[Kenneth Zinck]], the only other NLUP MP, defied orders from the party and joined the government, Swann remained a member of the Opposition.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/146470/fiji-cabinet-minister-dumped-by-his-own-party |title=Fiji cabinet minister dumped by his own party |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=5 December 2003 |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>
Following the collapse of the NLUP she contested the [[2006 Fijian general election|2006 election]] as an independent.  Running against several nationally known candidates, Swann was defeated, polling only 341 votes out of more than 12,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/f/fiji/fiji20065.txt |title=REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 6 MAY 2006 |publisher=Psephos |access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref>
Following the [[2006 Fijian coup d'état]] Swann was removed from her position on the board of the [[Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji]] by the military regime.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/166841/fiji-coup-makers-revamp-top-administration |title=Fiji coup makers revamp top administration |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=14 December 2006 |access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref> She subsequently studied for a Master's degree in Psychology at the [[University of the South Pacific]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usp.ac.fj/alumni/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/08/USPAlumniNewsletter_201704_en.pdf |title=WHERE ARE THEY NOW? |work=Alumni News |issue=4 |publisher=University of the South Pacific |date=2017  |page=11 |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref> and then worked there as a lecturer.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fijitimes.com/psychological-first-aid-vital-says-swann/ |title=Psychological first aid vital, says Swann |publisher=Fiji Times |date=30 August 2018 |access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref>
In February 2023 she was appointed to the council of [[Fiji National University]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fijivillage.com/news/New-Council-members-appointed-for-FNU-458rfx |title=New Council members appointed for FNU |publisher=Fiji Village |date=24 February 2023 |access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swann, Ofa}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Ethnic minority members of the House of Representatives (Fiji)]]
[[Category:New Labour Unity Party politicians]]
[[Category:United Peoples Party (Fiji) politicians]]
[[Category:Politicians from Vanua Balavu]]
[[Category:University of the South Pacific alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of the South Pacific]]