Prime Minister of Fiji

Head of government of Fiji

Prime Minister of Fiji

Paraiminisita ni Viti (Fijian)
फिजी के प्रधानमंत्री (Fiji Hindi)

Coat of arms of Fiji

Flag of Fiji

Incumbent
Sitiveni Rabuka

since 24 December 2022

* Government of Fiji
* Cabinet of Fiji
* Office of the Prime Minister
* Parliament of Fiji

Style| The Honourable[1]
Status| Head of government
Member of| Cabinet
Seat| Government Buildings
Term length| Four years
Precursor| Chief Minister of Fiji
Inaugural holder| Kamisese Mara
Formation| 10 October 1970; 54 years ago (1970-10-10)
Deputy| Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji
Salary| FJ$ 320,000/US$ 145,100 annually[2]
Website| www.pmoffice.gov.fj

Politics of Fiji

Constitution

* History

Executive

* President (list)

Naiqama Lalabalavu
* Prime Minister

Sitiveni Rabuka
* Cabinet
* Attorney-General

Siromi Turaga
* Leader of the Opposition

Inia Seruiratu

Legislative

* Parliament

Speaker: Filimone Jitoko

Judiciary

* Supreme Court

Chief Justice: Kamal Kumar
* Court of Appeal
* High Court

Elections

* Electoral system

Voting
* Political parties
* Post-independence elections

* 1972
* Mar 1977
* Sep 1977
* 1982
* 1987
* 1992
* 1994
* 1999
* 2001
* 2006
* 2014
* 2018
* 2022
* Next

Local government

* Recent local elections

* 2002
* 2005

Foreign relations

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Minister: Sitiveni Rabuka

* * *

* Diplomatic missions of / in Fiji

* * *

* Passport
* Visa requirements
* Visa policy

Former and informal

* Monarchy
* Governor
* Governor-General
* Chief Minister
* Executive Council
* House of Representatives

Constituencies

Open
Communal
National
* Legislative Council
* Great Council of Chiefs
* Chairman
* Senate
* Vice-President

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

The prime minister of Fiji is the head of government of the Republic of Fiji. The prime minister is appointed under the terms of the 2013 Constitution. The prime minister is the head of the Cabinet and appoints and dismisses ministers.

## Description of the office

[edit]

As a former British colony, Fiji has largely adopted British political models and follows the Westminster, or Cabinet, system of government, in which the executive branch of government is responsible to the legislature. Under the 2013 Constitution, the prime minister is the leader of the political party which has won more than half of the total number of seats in Parliament. If no such party exist, the Parliament elects the prime minister.

The prime minister of Fiji is technically the "first among equals," whose vote in meetings of the Cabinet carries no greater weight than that of any other minister. In practice, the prime minister dominates the government. Other ministers are appointed by the prime minister.

## History of the office

[edit]

Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara was appointed Fiji's first prime minister on 10 October 1970, when Fiji attained its independence from Britain. Mara previously served as Fiji's first and only chief minister, from 20 September 1967 (while Fiji still was a British colony). Mara's first term as prime minister lasted until 13 April 1987. He returned to the office for the second term on 5 December 1987, serving until 2 June 1992. As of 2014, Mara is the longest-serving prime minister of Fiji.

## List of prime ministers of Fiji (1970–present)

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Prime Minister | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Election | Head(s) of state

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Prime Ministers of the Dominion of Fiji

| Ratu Sir
Kamisese Mara
(1920–2004)| 10 October 1970| 13 April 1987| 16 years, 185 days|  | Alliance| 1972
1977 (Mar)
1977 (Sep)
1982| Elizabeth II

| Timoci Bavadra
(1934–1989)| 13 April 1987| 14 May 1987| 31 days|  | Labour| 1987| Elizabeth II
Vacant (14 May 1987 – 5 December 1987)[a]
Prime Ministers of the Republic of Fiji
(1)|

| Ratu Sir
Kamisese Mara
(1920–2004)
[b]| 5 December 1987| 2 June 1992| 4 years, 180 days|  | Independent| —| Ganilau

| Major General (Rtd)
Sitiveni Rabuka
(born 1948)| 2 June 1992| 19 May 1999| 6 years, 351 days|  | SVT| 1992
1994| Ganilau
Mara

| Mahendra Chaudhry
(born 1942)| 19 May 1999| 27 May 2000| 1 year, 8 days|  | Labour| 1999| Mara

| Ratu
Tevita Momoedonu
(1946–2020)
[c]| 27 May 2000| 27 May 2000| 0 days|  | Labour| —| Mara
Vacant (27 May 2000 – 4 July 2000)[a]

| Laisenia Qarase
(1941–2020)
[d]| 4 July 2000| 14 March 2001| 253 days|  | Independent| —| Bainimarama
Iloilo

| Ratu
Tevita Momoedonu
(1946–2020)
Acting| 14 March 2001| 16 March 2001| 2 days|  | Labour| —| Iloilo
(6)|

| Laisenia Qarase
(1941–2020)| 16 March 2001| 5 December 2006| 5 years, 264 days|  | SDL| 2001
2006| Iloilo

| Dr.
Jona Senilagakali
(1929–2011)
Acting
[e]| 5 December 2006| 4 January 2007| 30 days|  | Independent| —| Bainimarama

| Commodore
Frank Bainimarama
(born 1954)
Acting
[f]| 5 January 2007| 22 September 2014| 7 years, 260 days|  | RFMF| —| Iloilo
Nailatikau

| Rear Admiral (Rtd)
Frank Bainimarama
(born 1954)| 22 September 2014| 24 December 2022| 8 years, 93 days|  | FijiFirst| 2014
2018| Nailatikau
Konrote
Katonivere
(3)|

| Major General (Rtd)
Sitiveni Rabuka
(born 1948)| 24 December 2022| Incumbent| 2 years, 217 days|  | People's Alliance| 2022| Katonivere
Lalabalavu

## Timeline

[edit]

## See also

[edit]

* List of heads of state of Fiji
* President of Fiji
* Office of the Prime Minister
* Premier of the Kingdom of Viti

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b Fiji was left without a prime minister following two military coups in 1987 and a civilian coup d'état in 2000.
2. ^ Mara's party, the Alliance Party, was dissolved in the wake of the 1987 coups, so he was effectively a nonpartisan prime minister in his last term.
3. ^ Ratu Momoedonu was appointed Prime Minister on 27 May 2000, by the then-president, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, in order to meet a constitutional technicality. He resigned only a few minutes later, as soon as the technicality had been attended to, in order to allow the president to assume full executive power.
4. ^ Qarase was not a member of a political party when he headed the interim government in 2000 and early 2001. Following his reinstatement on 16 March 2001 (after two days' absence from office), he founded the United Fiji Party to contest the general election that was to be held later that year.
5. ^ Senilagakali was installed as Interim Prime Minister as Commodore Josaia Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama took control of the government. He was previously a highly esteemed medical doctor, the former president of the Fijian Medical Association, and was military doctor at the time of the coup d'état in 2006.[3]
6. ^ The Bainimarama government was dismissed as illegal by Fiji's Court of Appeal on 10 April 2009, leading to the prime minister's immediate resignation. He was re-appointed the next day by President Josefa Iloilo, following the latter's abrogation of the Constitution.[4][5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Office of the Prime Minister Directory". Office of the Prime Minister. 29 December 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
2. ^ "Politicalsalaries.com". 18 September 2024.
3. ^ "Military now in charge in Fiji". Fiji Times. 5 December 2006. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2006.
4. ^ "Fiji's Bainimarama steps down as PM", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 10 April 2009
5. ^ "Commodore Bainimarama sworn in as Prime Minister" Archived 15 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Fiji government, 11 April 2009

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Prime ministers of Fiji

Dominion of Fiji (1970–1987)|

* Mara
* Bavadra
* coups

Republic of Fiji (1987–present)|

* Mara
* Rabuka
* Chaudhry
* Momoedonu*
* coup
* Qarase
* Momoedonu*
* Qarase
* coup
* Senilagakali*
* Bainimarama*†
* Rabuka

* interim † military

* v
* t
* e

Cabinet of Fiji

* Prime Minister
* Deputy Prime Minister
* Attorney-General
* Minister for Agriculture, Sugar, and Land Resettlement
* Minister for ALTA and Sugar Industry
* Minister for Civil Aviation
* Minister for Commerce, Business Development, and Investment
* Minister for Communications
* Minister for Education
* Minister for Employment Opportunities
* Minister for Energy
* Minister for External Trade
* Minister for Finance and National Planning
* Minister for Fisheries
* Minister for Foreign Affairs
* Minister for Forests
* Minister for Health
* Minister for Home Affairs
* Minister for Housing, Squatter Settlement, and Environment
* Minister for Immigration
* Minister for Information and Media Relations
* Minister for iTaukei Affairs
* Minister for Justice
* Minister for Labour, Industrial Relations, and Productivity
* Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources
* Minister for Local Government
* Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs
* Minister for National Reconciliation and Unity
* Minister for Public Enterprises
* Minister for Public Sector Reform
* Minister for Regional Development
* Minister for Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation
* Minister for Sports
* Minister for Tourism
* Minister for Transport
* Minister for Women
* Minister for Works
* Minister for Youth
* Assistant Ministers
* Minister without portfolio

* v
* t
* e

Fiji articles

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|

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|

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Prime ministers

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