Mathew Batsiua

{{short description|Nauruan politician|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Mathew Batsiua | honorific_suffix = | image = | constituency_MP = Boe | parliament = Nauruan | majority = | predecessor = Kinza Clodumar | successor = Asterio Appi | term_start = October 23, 2004 | term_end = July 9, 2016 | office1 = | predecessor1 = | successor1 = | term_start1 = | term_end1 = | office2 = | predecessor2 = | successor2 = | term_start2 = | term_end2 = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|05|27|df=y}} | birth_place = Nauru | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | party = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = public servant | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Mathew Jansen Batsiua''' (born 27 May 1971<ref>{{cite web |title=Hon Mathew Batsiua MP - Member for Boe - The Government of the Republic of Nauru |url=http://www.naurugov.nr/parliament-of-nauru/members/members-20th-parliament/hon-mathew-batsiua-mp%EF%BB%BF-member-for-boe.aspx |website= |date=4 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404202429/http://www.naurugov.nr/parliament-of-nauru/members/members-20th-parliament/hon-mathew-batsiua-mp%EF%BB%BF-member-for-boe.aspx |archive-date=4 April 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>) is a Nauruan politician.<ref>[http://www.naurugov.nr/parliament/members/batsiua.html Parliament of Nauru]</ref> Batsiua, a former health minister and former foreign minister of Nauru, has served as a member of parliament for the constituency of Boe since 2004.<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=2011-11-10 |accessdate=2011-11-10}}</ref>

==Parliamentary role==

Batsiua has been elected to parliament in the 2004 general elections, ousting long-time parliamentarian and former president Kinza Clodumar. He has been re-elected in the 2007 and 2008 elections.

He was Minister of Finance in the cabinet of Marcus Stephen from July 2011<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Nauru Government Gazette |title=Assignment of Responsibility for the Business of Government : July 2011 |url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/6fbf83c45742c81c753ae9cd66eee2c1.pdf |website=Ronlaw.gov.nr}}</ref> to November 2011. He was appointed as Minister Assisting the President of Nauru in the short-lived cabinet of Frederick Pitcher in November 2011.

===Parliamentary constituency===

He represented the Boe Constituency in the Parliament of Nauru. He was defeated in the 2016 parliamentary election.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cain|first=Joseph|date=10 July 2016|title=General Parliamentary Election 2016|url=http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/gazettes/17a210b2321c9be443987ec124b37b1f.pdf|journal=Republic of Nauru Government Gazette |issue=132|pages=4}}</ref>

==Protest and trial== {{main|Nauru 19}} In 2014, Batsiua along with other opposition MPs were suspended from their parliament seats.<ref>{{cite news|last=|first=|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/20142835/nauru-opposition-mps-still-in-limbo-over-suspensions|title=Nauru opposition MPs still in limbo over suspensions|work=Radio New Zealand|date=24 July 2014|accessdate=8 June 2023}}</ref> In June 2015, there was an anti-government protest against this.<ref>{{cite news|last=Doherty|first=Ben|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/04/nauru-withdraws-right-of-appeal-to-australias-high-court-blocking-political-protestors|title=Nauru's former president accuses Australia of being complicit in 'political prosecution'|work=The Guardian|date=3 April 2018|accessdate=8 June 2023}}</ref> Batsiua was arrested, and 18 other people in total were charged, dubbed the Nauru 19.<ref>{{cite news|last=|first=|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/extra-cops-called-in-to-protect-govt/5RBRUDEW52OCEBC7JBZJJFNHME/?c_id=2&objectid=11468615|title=Extra cops called in to protect Govt|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=20 June 2017|accessdate=8 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=|first=|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/201858700/lawyers-for-nauru-19-seek-help-with-costs|title=Lawyers for "Nauru 19" seek help with costs|work=Radio New Zealand|date=15 September 2017|accessdate=8 June 2023}}</ref> On 13 September 2018, they were granted a permanent stay on their case.<ref>{{cite news|last=|first=|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/2018662391/permanent-stay-for-nauru-anti-government-protestors|title=Permanent stay for Nauru anti government protestors|work=Radio New Zealand|date=13 September 2018|accessdate=8 June 2023}}</ref> The government appealed, and the stay was lifted. In December 2019, Batsiua was sentenced to 11 months in prison.<ref>{{cite news|last=Davidson|first=Helen|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/20/nauru-19-members-jailed-over-protest-against-crackdown-on-opposition-mps|title=Nauru 19 members jailed over protest against crackdown on opposition MPs|work=The Guardian|date=19 December 2019|accessdate=8 June 2023}}</ref> He was released in April 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=|first=|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/413765/last-of-nauru-19-released|title=Last of 'Nauru-19' released|work=Radio New Zealand|date=8 April 2020|accessdate=8 June 2023}}</ref>

==References==

{{DEFAULTSORT:Batsiua, Mathew}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Ministers of finance of Nauru Category:Foreign ministers of Nauru Category:Health ministers of Nauru Category:Ministers Assisting the President of Nauru Category:Members of the Parliament of Nauru Category:Nauruan politicians convicted of crimes Category:People from Boe district Category:Nauruan civil servants Category:21st-century Nauruan politicians