Toswel Kaua
Encyclopedia
Toswel Kaua was a Solomon Islands
politician, several times Cabinet minister, and Deputy Prime Minister from May to November 2007.
He studied first at the University of Sydney
(Australia
), where he obtained a Certificate in Administration, Management and Systems. He then obtained a Certificate in Teaching from the Solomon Islands Teachers College, followed by a Diploma in Education and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (England
). He completed his studies with a Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching from Oxford University, and began a career in teaching and administration.
He taught at St. Nicholas primary school, in Solomon Islands, before becoming the school's headmaster. He then entered public administration as Assistant Education Officer for Selection and Guidance at the Ministry of Education. He went on to serve as Chief Administrative Officer for Regulation at the Ministry of Public Service, Assistant Secretary for Personnel to the Prime Minister's Office, Under-Secretary at the Public Service Division, Deputy Secretary to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, then Permanent Secretary to a number of Ministries, before becoming Secretary to the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
He began his political career when he was elected to Parliament as the member for Baegu/Asifola in the April 2006 general election
. In May, Prime Minister Snyder Rini
's government resigned in the face of public protest and under threat of a motion of no confidence
, and Manasseh Sogavare
ascended to the premiership. Sogavare appointed Kaua to Cabinet, as Minister for Mines and Energy. He subsequently appointed him Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Public Service. In November 2007, however, Kaua resigned from Cabinet and joined the Opposition. The following month, Sogavare's government was ousted in a vote of no confidence, and Kaua was appointed Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs by new Prime Minister Derek Sikua
, a position which he held until August 2010.
He retained his seat in Parliament in the August 2010 general election
, and served as a government backbencher
for the remaining months of his life. On 15 November 2010, he died in hospital following a "long illness".
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
politician, several times Cabinet minister, and Deputy Prime Minister from May to November 2007.
He studied first at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), where he obtained a Certificate in Administration, Management and Systems. He then obtained a Certificate in Teaching from the Solomon Islands Teachers College, followed by a Diploma in Education and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
). He completed his studies with a Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching from Oxford University, and began a career in teaching and administration.
He taught at St. Nicholas primary school, in Solomon Islands, before becoming the school's headmaster. He then entered public administration as Assistant Education Officer for Selection and Guidance at the Ministry of Education. He went on to serve as Chief Administrative Officer for Regulation at the Ministry of Public Service, Assistant Secretary for Personnel to the Prime Minister's Office, Under-Secretary at the Public Service Division, Deputy Secretary to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, then Permanent Secretary to a number of Ministries, before becoming Secretary to the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
He began his political career when he was elected to Parliament as the member for Baegu/Asifola in the April 2006 general election
Solomon Islands general election, 2006
General elections were held on 5 April 2006 in the Solomon Islands. No party managed to win more than four of the fifty seats, while thirty seats went to independent candidates. A number of those subsequently formed an Association of Independent Members of Parliament, with Snyder Rini as their leader...
. In May, Prime Minister Snyder Rini
Snyder Rini
Snyder Rini is a Solomon Islands politician who was briefly the eighth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from April to May 2006 and has been Minister for Finance and Treasury since December 2007...
's government resigned in the face of public protest and under threat of a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
, and Manasseh Sogavare
Manasseh Sogavare
Manasseh Damukana Sogavare was the sixth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2006 to 2007. He has served in the National Parliament as Member for East Choiseul since 1997, and he is currently the Leader of the Opposition.-Biography:Sogavare was Permanent...
ascended to the premiership. Sogavare appointed Kaua to Cabinet, as Minister for Mines and Energy. He subsequently appointed him Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Public Service. In November 2007, however, Kaua resigned from Cabinet and joined the Opposition. The following month, Sogavare's government was ousted in a vote of no confidence, and Kaua was appointed Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs by new Prime Minister Derek Sikua
Derek Sikua
David Derek Sikua served as the ninth Prime Minister of Solomon Islands from December 20, 2007 to August 25, 2010. He is a member of the Solomon Islands Liberal Party.-Career:Sikua is from Ngalitavethi Village in Guadalcanal Province...
, a position which he held until August 2010.
He retained his seat in Parliament in the August 2010 general election
Solomon Islands general election, 2010
A general election was held in the Solomon Islands on 4 August 2010. In May 2010, Prime Minister Derek Sikua announced that the election would be held on 4 August, however, this announcement was deemed to be premature, as only the Governor General has the authority to announce the election date...
, and served as a government backbencher
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
for the remaining months of his life. On 15 November 2010, he died in hospital following a "long illness".