Baegu Asifola and Lau Mbaelelea lost a great leader
THE first Baegu Asifola electorate Member of Parliament (MP) Walter Folotalu has passed on, it was confirmed.
Mr Folotalu who was voted by the people of Baegu Asifola as the first ever MP for the newly formed Baegu Asifola electorate after it was divided from Lau Mbaelelea in 1994, died in Honiara on Sunday.
Late Folotalu who served as the first ever Baegu Asifola MP lost the Baegu Asifola Parliamentary seat in the 1997 National General Election to Steve Aumanu.
Eleven years after he failed to defend his parliamentary seat in the Baegu Asifola electorate, Mr. Folotalu then move to Lau Mbaelelea electorate to contest the Lau Mbaelelea by-election in 2008 which he won and become the first ever person to have represented two different constituencies in parliament.
In the 2010 National General Election, Mr Folotalu defended his Lau Mbaelelea parliamentary seat with a huge victory which kept him in office as the Lau Mbaelelea representative for the next four years.
Mr Folotalu was ousted in the 2014 National General Election by the current MP for Lau Mbaelelea Augustine Auga.
During Mr Folotalu’s time as the MP for Baegu Asifola and Lau Mbaelelea he served as the Minister for Communication and Aviation, and Minister of Police, National Security and Correctional Services.
Late Folotalu was survived by his wife Mary Sauna, a son and a daughter.
Many people from Baegu Asifola and Lau Mbaelelea described the passing of the former MP as a great lost.
To this day, many have viewed him as an honest and simple person with a likeable and approachable character who love to help people, a legacy that people of the two electorates will remember forever.
The body of the former MP was flown back for burial at his final resting place at Manaoba Island in the Lau Mbaelela electorate.
By WILSON SAENI in Auki
