Adi Asenaca Coboiverata Caucau, generally known simply as Adi Asenaca Caucau, is a Fijian politician. She served as Minister For Women and Minister for Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation from 2001 to 2006, when she became Minister of State for Housing. She held this post, and continued to represent the Tailevu South Lomaiviti Open Constituency in the House of Representatives until 5 December 2006, when the Military of Fiji staged a coup d'état and removed her government from office. She had first won the seat for the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua Party (SDL) in the parliamentary election of September 2001. Political controversies Caucau is one of Fiji's most colourful politicians. A flamboyant figure, she is sometimes careless with her words and her outspokenness has frequently generated controversy. She has defended herself by claiming that journalists have often unfairly quoted her "out of context." "Indo-Fijians are like weeds" On July 28, 2002, addressing Parliament, Caucau stated: "A priest warned me that we must keep a careful and guarded watch over fellow Indo-Fijians because they are like weeds. They tend to push to grab to take over the land and the nation. [...] [T]his is what we, the indigenous people have proven and believe is the design of the foreigners [vulagi]." The term vulagi is a common slur against Indo-Fijians. Opposition members, journalists, trade unionists, non-governmental organisations and religious leaders called upon Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase to condemn Caucau's racist comment, and discipline her. Qarase refused to rebuke her publicly, saying that ruling on the propriety of her comments was the Parliamentary Speaker's prerogative, not his. "He decides whatever goes in the House and I have left the matter with him," Qarase said. Former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, however, condemned her remarks and called on the Prime Minister to discipline her. "Caucau's statements were irresponsible and unbecoming, especially from a woman who prays before making a statement," Rabuka said. He called on her to apologise to the Indo-Fijian community. Responding to calls for an apology, Caucau insisted that she saw nothing offensive about her statement. "I am simply stating a fact and it was not meant to be racist", she told the media. Disagreements with the Military On 14 April 2003, Radio New Zealand reported that Radio Fiji had quoted the Military commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, as having called for her resignation, following her open disagreement with military moves to prosecute perpetrators