A former Fiji Times journalist, Dimuri contested the Macuata Fijian Communal Constituency on behalf of then-Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka's Fijian Political Party (SVT), but was defeated by the Christian Democratic Alliance candidate, Poseci Bune.
Originally a member of the post-coup interim government, Manueli subsequently sought election and won the sole seat for the Rotuman Communal Constituency and was made a Cabinet Minister in Sitiveni Rabuka's governments.
Two military coups were carried out in 1987 by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka.
He is better known for his proactive role in organising the harvest of sugar cane in the Labasa and Seaqaqa districts, during a harvest boycott by farmers protesting the 1987 1987 military takeover by Sitiveni Rabuka.
In addition, Sitiveni Rabuka, former Prime Minister, and Laisenia Qarase, the recently removed Prime Minister, are also from Tovata.
The list of alumni of the DSSC at Wellington reads like a Who's Who of the armed forces and includes Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, former Fijian strongman Sitiveni Rabuka, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, head of German special forces Hans-Christoph Ammon, Naval Commander Dhananjay Joshi and former governor of the Reserve Bank of India R.N.Malhotra.
He rejected criticism from former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Fijian Political Party Secretary Ema Druavesi; they and others had said that previous efforts to forge a multiracial electoral alliance had been a failure, and that Ganilau's own political history, including his former leadership of the now-defunct Christian Democratic Alliance, did not give grounds for optimism.
In 1998, a meke -i- wau (traditional club dance) of Bukuya village in Magodro district in the Province of Ba performed for the Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, recounted the Taukei ni Waluvu’s tribal skirmishes in that part of Viti Levu’s western highlands.