Fiji lawmakers vote to install Sitiveni Rabuka as next prime minister
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People's Alliance Party leader Sitiveni Rabuka arrives to attend the first sittings of the newly elected parliament on Dec 24, 2022.
PHOTO: AFP
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WELLINGTON - Mr Sitiveni Rabuka became Fiji’s prime minister on Saturday after a coalition of parties voted narrowly to install him as leader of the strategically important Pacific nation, signalling an end to Mr Frank Bainimarama’s 16 years in power.
Fiji has been pivotal in the strategically located South Pacific’s response to increasing competition for influence between China and the United States, and Mr Rabuka has said he favours Western-style democracy.
His party’s manifesto wants to establish dialogue with major powers and reassess borrowing practices to make sure the country does not end up in a debt trap.
Saturday’s secret parliamentary vote for prime minister was closer than had been expected, with 28 Members of Parliament voting for Mr Rabuka, while 27 voted in support of Mr Bainimarama.
The coalition holds 29 seats in Parliament, indicating that one member had broken ranks to vote in favour of the former prime minister.
Leaving Parliament on Saturday, Mr Rabuka told the waiting media that he was humbled to have become the prime minister of Fiji, before being rushed away to be sworn in by the country’s president.
Mr Biman Prasad, leader of the National Federation Party and the new finance minister, said the incoming government will work for the Fijian people.
“We will work with everyone. We will work with the opposition, we will consult, and we will work with our people,” he said.
Fiji has a history of military coups, including two staged by Mr Rabuka in 1987, and at times witnessed tense race relations between its indigenous majority and a large ethnic Indian group until constitutional reform in 2013 removed a race-based voting system that favoured indigenous Fijians.
The military was called in to assist the police in maintaining law and order on Thursday, following allegations of attacks against the Indian ethnic minority after Wednesday’s general election. Those claims have been disputed by the new government.
Mr Bainimarama told the media on Saturday that his removal from power reflected the democratic process. “This is democracy. That is my legacy,” he said. He has been elected leader of the opposition.
The prime ministers of both New Zealand and Australia released statements to congratulate the newly sworn-in Mr Rabuka.
“We strongly value Fiji as a close friend and partner as we progress our shared priorities for the region,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a tweet that he also looked forward to working with Mr Rabuka.
Although details are scarce on how the new government’s foreign policy is likely to unfold, the manifesto of Mr Rabuka’s party says it wants to strengthen diplomatic relations with all countries, deepen Fiji’s relationship with other Pacific nations, and “establish dialogue with all major powers in the world to promote mutual respect for sovereignty and resolution of geopolitical disputes”. REUTERS
