Transition

Elected: Mr Miles Johnson, as President of the Fiji Law Society. New Zealand-born Mr Johnson is a lawyer in Suva and a director of the Fiji Sun newspaper, closed down by the military after the second coup in September. Mr Johnson was detained by security forces for five days following the second coup of Brigadier Rabuka.

Returned:Mr Henry Naisali, director of the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation (SPEC), from a meeting of heads of regional organisations in Brussels. Mr Naisali also visited Japan for

talks with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Japan External Trade Organisation, as well as stopping over in Norway and Denmark.

Died: Mr Waka Busa, PNG’s Public Service Commission Selection Chairman. From Enga, Mr Busa was a well re spected public servant. He died of head injuries sus tained after a road accident on Waigani Drive, Port Moresby, Died: Waidabe Caleb, 50, Paramount Chief of PNG’s Trobriand Islands, the so called islands of love. Caleb, who died of asthma, left 13

widows and 22 children. In traditional Trobriands soci ety, Caleb, as the Supreme Chief, was regarded as con troller of the skies, the sun, the wind and the rain. His title is expected to be inherited by his nephew, Pulayasi.

Died: Kumana Hula, aged about 81, on September 29 in his home village of Wakaia, Morobe Province, PNG. Ku mana, a member of Jim Tay lor’s historic 1933 Highlands expedition, also ac companied Taylor on his 1938 trek from Hagen to the Sepik and served in the PNG police force in Bougainville, Manus, Ailape and Madang. During World War 11, Kumana served with the Australian Army in many parts of the country.

Died: Temauri Karibauriri, aged 24, president of the Mor mon church in Bonriki, Kir ibati, drowned after a storm struck the South Tarawa area shortly after he had left on a solo fishing expedition. Te mauri’s fishing float and what appeared to be his catch of fish were washed ashore later but there has been no trace of him. If Temauri’s body is not found, village people said his float could be buried in his place at the funeral.

Appointed: The first Su preme Court judges in Fiji since the country was de clared a republic have been sworn in. The four sworn in are from seven nominated by a judicial advisory commit tee that included the Attor ney-General, Mr Kelemedi Bulewa. They are Justice Vi jaya Parmanandam, Justice Davendra Pathik, Justice Sampurn Anand and Justice Epineri Vula. One of the nominees not there to be sworn in, Sailosi Kepa, was said to be overseas. The oth ers, British-born John Wil liams and New Zealand-born Kenneth Stuart, are believed to have advised the govern ment they would not serve on the judiciary. □