Marieta Rigamoto
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Marieta Rigamoto is a Fijian politician. As as independent candidate campaigning for improved roads and hospital services in Rotuma, she won a hotly contested election for the Rotuman Communal Constituency in the House of Representatives in 1999, and was returned with an increased majority in the election of 2001. Since then, she has served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase as an Assistant Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, and was appointed Minister for Information and Media Relations on 12 July 2005, succeeding Ahmed Ali, who died on 4 June. She announced in February 2006 that she would not be contesting the upcoming parliamentary election.
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[edit] Education and early career
Rigamoto was educated at Dudley High School from 1957 to 1962, and subsequently graduated with a Diploma in Tropical Agriculture from the Fiji College of Agriculutre in 1965, and with a Bachelor's degree in Science (BSc) from the University of Hawaii in 1969. She later completed postgraduate work at the University of London in 1971.
She worked in the civil service from 1966 to 1998. Her assignments included the Ministry of Agriculture (1969-1982), and the Public Service Commission (1975-1976). She was Principal of the Fiji College of Agriculture from 1982 to 1989. Her last civil service appointment was in the Office of the President, from 1994. She retired from the civil service on 1 December 1998.
[edit] Political controversies
On 28 September 2005, Rigamoto appeared in the High Court to answer a contempt of court charge. The charge related to a letter she wrote to a daily newspaper, defending herself against allegations that she was party to a scam involving the donation of agricultural equipment (financed by public funds) to Rotuma in 2000, a charge that is currently the subject of litigation.
[edit] Retirement
In an interview with the Fiji Sun on 8 February 2006, Rigamoto confirmed earlier reports of her decision to retire at the parliamentary election expected by November at the latest. There were other interests she wanted to pursue, she said, and as Rotuman Islanders were allocated only one communal constituency, it was time to allow someone else to hold it. "Something that you have to accept right from the beginning is that you could be in today and out tomorrow," she added. She was succeeded by George Konrote, a former Military officer and diplomat.
[edit] Personal life
Although of Rotuman descent, Rigamoto was born at Navuso Agricultural School in Naitasiri Province, outside Suva. She is a Methodist. She is married, with three children. She owns a farm in Robedrau in Debua, in the Province of Serua.
