Freddie Pitcher

{{Short description|President of Nauru in 2011}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = His Excellency | image = Frederick William Pitcher 2023 (cropped).jpg | caption = Pitcher in 2023 | office = President of Nauru | term_start = 10 November 2011 | term_end = 15 November 2011 | deputy = Mathew Batsiua | predecessor = Marcus Stephen | successor = Sprent Dabwido | constituency_MP2 = Ubenide | parliament2 = Nauruan | term_start2 = 23 October 2004 | term_end2 = 8 June 2013 | predecessor2 = Russell E. Kun | successor2 = Ranin Akua | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|02|05|df=yes}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = Nauru First | alma_mater = Macquarie University }} '''Frederick William Pitcher''' (born 5 February 1967) is a Nauruan politician and diplomat who served as the President of Nauru from 10 to 15 November 2011.

In December 2007, Pitcher was appointed Minister of Finance of Nauru, to serve in the Administration of President Marcus Stephen. Pitcher became the President of Nauru on 10 November 2011, following the resignation of his predecessor, former President Marcus Stephen.<ref name=abc>{{cite news |title=Asylum plan on course despite Nauru power shift |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-10/nauru-president-resigns/3658114/?site=sydney |work=ABC News (Australia) |date=10 November 2011 |accessdate=2011-11-10}}</ref><ref name=abc2>{{cite news |title=Nauru announces new president |url=http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201111/3362313.htm?desktop |work=ABC News (Australia) |date=11 November 2011 |accessdate=2011-11-13 |archive-date=1 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401085254/http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201111/3362313.htm?desktop |url-status=usurped }}</ref> He lost a parliamentary vote of confidence and lost the presidency on 15 November 2011 after only 6 days in power.<ref>The Age, 15 November 2011, [https://archive.today/20120912050804/http://www.theage.com.au/world/another-president-ousted-in-nauru-20111115-1ngj2.html], accessed 15 November 2011</ref>

Pitcher became the permanent representative of Nauru at the United Nations Office at Geneva in January 2025. He became ambassador from Nauru to Switzerland in May 2025.

==Background and earlier career== Pitcher attended Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia from 1988 to 1991. He obtained a bachelor of arts degree in Pacific studies.<ref name="UN"/>

Educated in Australia, where Pitcher also has many family connections, he was viewed as a young reformist during the preceding Administration of President Ludwig Scotty, and was perceived as close to Kieren Keke, who joined the Marcus Stephen Administration as Foreign Minister. Pitcher was the deputy permanent representative to the UN in New York from 2000 to 2004.<ref name="bull2025" /> He was elected to the Parliament of Nauru in 2004 from Ubenide constituency.<ref name="bull2025">{{cite web |title=Nauru Bulletin #2 7 Feb 2025 (285) |url=https://www.nauru.gov.nr/media/202314/nauru_bulletin__2_7_feb2025__285_.pdf}}</ref> He also served as minister for commerce, industry and environment from 2004 to 2010 in the administration of President Ludwig Scotty.<ref name="bull2025" />

==Finance Minister, 2007==

On coming to office, as Minister of Finance, Pitcher inherited the burden of the austerity measures associated with the outgoing Scotty Administration.

In March 2008, the speaker of the Parliament of Nauru, David Adeang, attempted to have Pitcher expelled from Parliament, by summoning a Parliamentary session, allegedly without informing members of the government, which resulted in the passing of a law forbidding Members of Parliament to hold dual citizenship. President Stephen argued that the law was unconstitutional; Adeang said it was not.<ref name="RNZI_38778">{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=38778 |title=Nauru government rejects citizenship ruling |date=26 March 2008 |work=Radio New Zealand International |accessdate=30 September 2011}}</ref> On 28 March, Adeang ordered Pitcher and another minister, Kieren Keke, to vacate their seats in Parliament, since they both hold dual Nauruan and Australian citizenship.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/200803/s2203109.htm?tab=latest "Nauru braces for more political uncertainty"], ABC Radio Australia, 31 March 2008</ref> The two ministers refused to do so, and Adeang suspended the sitting.<ref name="RNZI_38840">{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=38840 |title=Nauru Speaker fails to stop two ministers from entering Parliament |date=29 March 2008 |work=Radio New Zealand International |accessdate=30 September 2011}}</ref> [[File:President Chen Receives Nauruan Ministers David Adeang and Frederick Pitcher.jpg|thumb|Pitcher and David Adeang meeting Chen Shui-bian]] ==President of Nauru== On 10 November 2011, incumbent Nauru President Marcus Stephen resigned from the presidency amid corruption allegations.<ref name=abc/> Opposition MPs had accused Stephen of seeking to illegally profit from a phosphate deal.<ref name=abc/> Specifically, opposition leader David Adeang accused Stephen of soliciting potential kickbacks from Thai businesspeople looking to buy phosphates in Nauru.<ref name=rnzi>{{cite news |title=Nauru's new president says corruption allegations baseless |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=64342 |work=Radio New Zealand International |date=11 November 2011 |accessdate=2011-11-13}}</ref> Stephen called the charges "unwarranted and mischievous."<ref name=abc/> He resigned the presidency, but remained in parliament.<ref name=abc/>

Frederick Pitcher, who had previously served as Minister for Commerce, Industry and Environment, became the new President of Nauru on the same day as Stephen's resignation.<ref name=abc/> Pitcher was elected president by the same nine members of parliament who had supported the outgoing Stephen government.<ref name=abc/> Mathew Batsiua, the former health minister, was also named Nauru's new foreign minister, replacing Kieren Keke.<ref name=abc/> Pitcher retained Stephen in his cabinet reshuffle.<ref name=rnzi/>

Pitcher dismissed corruption allegations against Stephen as baseless upon taking office, telling reporters, "There was no evidence or proof. I think Marcus himself felt that this whole discussion had become a distraction to parliament and to government and he offered to resign. I think he did a noble thing and I applaud him for it. So far allegations [go] I think they were only allegations. I saw nothing to prove they were anything other than false allegations."<ref name=rnzi/>

Pitcher's presidency was not expected to affect the Australian opposition's plan to open a new immigration centre in Nauru.<ref name=abc/>

===Loss of Parliamentary confidence vote===

After the defection of one of his supporters Pitcher lost a parliamentary vote of confidence and the presidency on 15 November. Sprent Dabwido was elected as his successor.<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/world/another-president-ousted-in-nauru-20111115-1ngj2.html "Another president ousted in Nauru"], ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 15 November 2011</ref>

==Out of Parliament== Former President Pitcher was defeated for re-election to Parliament in elections held in June 2013.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Grundler|first=Bernard|date=9 June 2013|title=GENERAL PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION 2013|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/8c36e5c713591c4c8a01fb02433fd03c.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette|issue=91|page=9}}</ref> He was again defeated in a parliamentary election in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160909090457/http://election.com.nr/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Ubenide.pdf|url=http://election.com.nr/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Ubenide.pdf |title=Declaration of Results Ubenide Constituency|date=2016|archive-date=9 September 2016|publisher=Nauru Electoral Commission|accessdate=31 August 2024}}</ref>

Pitcher presented his credentials to the director-general of the United Nations Office at Geneva on 28 January 2025, becoming the permanent representative of Nauru at that office.<ref name = "UN">{{cite web|url=https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/presentation-of-credentials/2025/01/new-permanent-representative-nauru-presents|title=New Permanent Representative of Nauru Presents Credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva|date=28 January 2025|publisher=United Nations|accessdate=July 15, 2025}}</ref> Pitcher presented his credentials to Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter as Nauruan ambassador to Switzerland on 3 May 2025.<ref name = "Swiss">{{cite web|url=https://www.nauru.gov.nr/media/205165/nauru_bulletin__8_23_may2025__291_.pdf |title=Ambassador Pitcher presents credentials to Switzerland|journal=Nauru Bulletin|date=29 May 2025|publisher=Republic of Nauru|accessdate=July 15, 2025}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{commons category}} {{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Marcus Stephen}} {{s-ttl|title=President of Nauru|years=2011}} {{s-aft|after=Sprent Dabwido}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitcher, Frederick}} Category:Ministers of finance of Nauru Category:Living people Category:Macquarie University alumni Category:Ambassadors of Nauru Category:Ambassadors to Switzerland Category:Members of the Parliament of Nauru Category:Nauru First politicians Category:Presidents of Nauru Category:Australian people of Nauruan descent Category:1967 births Category:Environment ministers of Nauru Category:21st-century Nauruan politicians