Sam Iduri

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Right Honourable
Shemuel Sam Iduri
Minister for National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace
In office
22 December 2007 – 27 August 2010
Prime MinisterDerek Sikua
Succeeded byHypolite Taremae
Minister for National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace
In office
5 May 2006 – 10 November 2007
Prime MinisterManasseh Sogavare
Member of Parliament
for West Kwara'ae
In office
5 April 2006 – 23 January 2023
Preceded byBenjamin Patrick Una
Succeeded byAlfred Tuasulia
Personal details
Born(1949-08-15)August 15, 1949
Boboilangi Village, Malaita
DiedJanuary 23, 2023(2023-01-23) (aged 73)
Political partyDemocratic Party[1]

Shemuel Sam Iduri (born in Boboilangi Village, Malaita,[2] 15 August 1949 - 23 January 2023[3]) was a Solomon Islands politician.

After studying at teachers' colleges in Solomon Islands and in Western Australia, he worked as a secondary school principal, then as education officer.[2]

His political career began when he was elected to Parliament as MP for West Kwara'ae, in the April 2006 general election. The following month, the newly installed government of Prime Minister Snyder Rini resigned in the face of public protests, and so as to avoid a motion of no confidence. Iduri supported Rini's successor to the premiership, Manasseh Sogavare, and was appointed Minister for National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace in Sogavare's Cabinet - thus becoming the Minister in charge of facilitating national reconciliation in the aftermath of the ethnic conflicts of the late 1990s and early 2000s. In November 2007, he defected to the Opposition, along with nine other ministers, in an attempt to unseat the Sogavare government. The attempt was ultimately successful, and Derek Sikua replaced Sogavare as Prime Minister in late December. Sikua restored Iduri to his Cabinet post as Minister for National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace.[2][4]

In August 2008, Iduri introduced a Truth and Reconciliation Commission Bill, which led to the establishing in April 2009 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.[5][6]

Iduri retained his seat in Parliament in the August 2010 general election, but not his position in Cabinet. He was succeeded as Minister for National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace by Hypolite Taremae, in Prime Minister Danny Philip's government.[2][7] He was, however, appointed Shadow Minister for National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace in Opposition Leader Steve Abana's Shadow Cabinet.[8]

Iduri died on 23 January 2023,[3] triggering a by-election in his constituency.[9]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 2010 National Elections Archived 2010-12-20 at the Wayback Machine, Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation
  2. ^ a b c d Biography on the website of the Parliament of Solomon Islands
  3. ^ a b "OFFICIAL FUNERAL SERVICE PROGRAMME FOR LATE HON SHEMUEL SAM IDURI, MP". Solomon Islands Government. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Voters Want Sam Iduri Leader Back In Government", Solomon Islands Government press release, December 3, 2007
  5. ^ "Minister moves Truth and Reconciliation Commission Bill"[permanent dead link], Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, August 26, 2008
  6. ^ "Solomons Commission claims broad support". Radio New Zealand International. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  7. ^ "PM Philip name ministers" Archived 2010-08-29 at the Wayback Machine, Island Sun, August 27, 2010
  8. ^ "Abana is new Opposition leader" Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, Solomon Star, September 1, 2010
  9. ^ "PS VIULU CONGRATULATES TUASULIA AS WEST KWARA'AE CONSTITUENCY'S NEW MP". Solomon Islands Government. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2024.