Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
Godfrey Thoma | |
Honorific-Suffix: | MP |
Office1: | Speaker of the Parliament of Nauru |
Predecessor1: | Landon Deireragea |
Successor1: | Ludwig Scotty |
Term Start1: | 25 April 2013 |
Term End1: | 11 June 2013 |
Predecessor2: | Shadlog Bernicke |
Successor2: | Dominic Tabuna |
Term Start2: | 13 May 2010 |
Term End2: | 18 May 2010 |
Predecessor3: | Ross Cain |
Successor3: | Fabian Ribauw |
Term Start3: | 6 May 2003 |
Term End3: | 7 May 2003 |
Birth Date: | 22 January 1957 |
Birth Place: | Nauru |
Nationality: | Nauruan |
Residence: | Aiwo |
Profession: | police officer |
Godfrey Awaire Thoma (born 22 January 1957[1]) is a Nauruan politician and police officer.
Thoma started his first term in the parliament after being elected in 1995, ousting Theodore Moses after only three years. He had been subsequently re-elected to parliament until 2007, when he lost his seat to newcomer Dantes Tsitsi.
Following the parliament's dissolution in 2008 after President Marcus Stephen had declared a state of emergency, Thoma was re-elected to parliament to serve a second term for the Aiwo Constituency, ending the 31-year parliamentary term of former president René Harris who died just two months later.
He retained his seat in the 2010 parliamentary election.[2]
Thoma was defeated in the 2013 election.
Thoma served as Minister of Justice in the administrations of René Harris and Ludwig Scotty.
In May 2003 he was elected Speaker of Parliament, but resigned just one day later. Following the 2010 parliamentary election, he was again elected Speaker.[3] Elected on 13 May, he resigned on 18 May, to prevent President Marcus Stephen from forming a government.[4] Thoma was elected as speaker for a third time on 25 April 2013 after the previous speaker, Ludwig Scotty resigned after a period of parliamentary deadlock and tension between the government and the opposition.