Teburoro Tito

Teburoro Tito (modern spelling Tiito, pronounced Seetoh) (Tabiteuea, Gilbert and Ellice Islands (now Kiribati) 25 August 1953) is an I-Kiribati politician who served as the President and foreign minister of Kiribati from 1 October 1994 to 28 March 2003. He was elected for the first time in 1994. He was reelected in 1998 with 52% of the vote. His main opponent was Harry Tong, who later ran against his brother, former President Anote Tong. Tito was reelected again in February 2003 with 50.4% of the vote. His main opponent was Taberannang Timeon. Tito, however, was deposed by the Parliament in a no confidence vote just one month after his reelection. One of the main reasons for his ejection was his decision to lease an ATR-72-500 aircraft at the government's expense; within six months this lease chewed up eight million USD.[1]

President Tito, through his speeches at the UN, interviews with international news media and his active participation at International Climate conferences, began the process of highlighting the detrimental effects of global warming on his and other South Pacific island nations.

He also brought his country into the limelight during the 2000 Millennium festivities, by causing it to be the first country to "see tomorrow," after moving the international date line in 1995.