Josefa Iloilo | Fijian president, 90

Josefa Iloilo, 90, the president of Fiji who in 2009 provoked worldwide censure by tossing out the island nation's constitution, firing its judges, and naming himself head of state, died Feb. 6 in Suva, the capital.

His death was announced by Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama. Mr. Iloilo, who as a traditional Fijian chief was addressed by the honorific Ratu, had Parkinson's disease.

Fiji, consisting of about 330 islands in the central Pacific Ocean, was a British colony until 1970. It was under military control after a 2006 coup but did not formally reject its constitution as a republic until Mr. Iloilo's 2009 actions.

Those actions were rooted in native Fijians' long-standing resentment of the relative financial and political success of migrants from India.

In 1999, Mahendra Chaudhry, leader of the Fiji Labor Party, became the first person of Indian descent to be elected Fiji's prime minister.

That set off a dramatic series of events, beginning with the armed seizure of Parliament in May 2000 by Fijian nationalists demanding laws to curb the influence of politicians of Indian descent.

The rebels held the prime minister and his cabinet for 56 days. After the hostages were freed, Mr. Iloilo was appointed president by the Great Council of Chiefs, composed of traditional elders.

In the whirlwind of ensuing events, he pressed for greater rights for Indians.

In 2006, Bainimarama, chief of Fiji's armed forces, led a coup against the civilian government he himself had installed after a 2000 coup. Mr. Iloilo endorsed the coup and, as president, named Bainimarama to lead the government.

Fiji's Court of Appeal struck down Bainimarama's military government in 2009. Mr. Iloilo retaliated by abolishing the constitution and naming Bainimarama prime minister.

- N.Y. Times News Service