David Christopher
Member of the Kiribati Parliament
for Rabi Island
In office
7 January 2016 – 26 February 2022
Preceded byPaulo Vanualailai
Member of the Kiribati Parliament
for Rabi Island
In office
1994–1998
Preceded byRongorongo Terubea
Succeeded byBureia Samuela
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for North Eastern General
In office
September 2001 – 13 May 2006
Preceded byLeo Smith
Succeeded byRobin Irwin
Personal details
Born1947 or 1948[1]
Died26 February 2022[1]
Suva, Fiji
Political partySoqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua

David Ariu Christopher, also known as Kariamakin Airu Christopher (died 26 February 2022) was a politician of Banaban descent, who has held office in two countries — Fiji[2] and Kiribati.

Christopher was educated at Niusawa Primary School, Queen Victoria School, Lelean Memorial School and then the University of the South Pacific.[1] He worked for the Fiji Sugar Corporation, and then for Rabi Holdings, the investment company of the Rabi Council of Leaders.[1] He was appointed to the Kiribati House of Assembly in 1994, serving a term of four years as representative of the Banaban people living on Rabi Island in Fiji.[3]

At the 2001 Fijian general election, he won the North Eastern General electorate for the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL) of Laisenia Qarase, becoming the first Banaban elected to the House of Representatives of Fiji. He lost his seat to Robin Irwin at the 2006 election. Christopher's former constituency was one of three reserved for "General Electors" - Fijian citizens who are not of ethnic Fijian, Indian, or Rotuman descent. Following the 2006 Fijian coup d'état and the dissolution of the SDL he returned to work for the Rabi Council as executive director.[1]

In 2016 Christopher was again appointed to fill the nominated seat for Rabi Island in the Kiribati House of Assembly. He was renominated at the 2020 Kiribati parliamentary election.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Former MP, Rabi Council of Leaders Executive Director, David Christopher Dies At 74". Fiji Sun. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  2. ↑ Frankel, Yehonatan Shimʻon; Frankel, Jon; Firth, Stewart (2007). From election to coup in Fiji: the 2006 campaign and its aftermath. Canberra, Australia: Asia Pacific Press. pp. xxvi–xxvii. ISBN 978-0-7315-3812-6. JSTOR j.ctt24hbbn.29.
  3. ↑ "Find a Member by Parliament". Parliament of Kiribati. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012.


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