Stuart Huggett

Stuart Huggett is a British-born Fijian architect, businessman, and civil servant, who served as Chairman of the from 2004 to 2006, when he was removed from office on 6 December 2006 by the Military junta which had seized power the previous day.

In addition, Huggett is a Director of ,^[1] which is based in Suva and in Sydney, Australia and the Honorary Consul for Spain.

Huggett was born in Bath, England. He graduated from the , now the University of Bristol.^[2] After his marriage, he spent a year in Zaria, Nigeria, during the Nigerian civil war in the late 1960s.

He founded Architects Pacific Limited^[1] in 1971, which specialized in residential, commercial and tourist resort design and masterplanning. He also organised the Fiji Protest in 1995.

2006 coup d'état[]

On 6 December 2006 Stuart Huggett, as Chairman of the Public Service Commission, called together a meeting of the CEOs of the various governmental ministries, including Nainendra Nand, the Solicitor-General of Fiji. Military forces broke up the meeting and detained Huggett and Nand, and there were unconfirmed reports that the two had been assaulted.^[3] A veiled statement by Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, on the ABC television's 7:30 report gave some credence to the rumours.^[4]

The Chairman and Solicitor General were served notice of dismissal by the Military Commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, on 7 December 2006. However the elected Government of Fiji gave no such notice to any governmental officials.

Announcing the appointment of Hector Hatch as Huggett's successor on 4 January 2007, Commodore Bainimarama said that Huggett had been uncooperative with the Military authorities, and also claimed that he was under investigation for allegations that a company he was connected with had tendered for a F$40 million government contract.^[5]

Personal life[]

Huggett is married to Gillian Margaret Illife, with whom he has three daughters, Catherine, Alexandra and Amitia and a son, James.

References[]