The parliamentary election resulted in two equally sized blocks now campaigning for a small party. The island nation is also the subject of geopolitics.
Suva/Sydney. In the South Pacific island state of Fiji, there is no clear majority after last week’s turbulent parliamentary elections – although the government of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who has been in office for 16 years, is probably history in its current form. Bainimarama’s Fiji First party and a coalition led by opposition leader Sitiveni Rabuka each have 26 of the 55 seats in Suva’s parliament, according to weekend results. Now both are courting the small Social Democrat party of strictly Christian businessman Viliame Gavoka, which has three seats and has thus become a kingmaker.
The election has geostrategic significance beyond Fiji, which gained independence from Britain in 1970 and, with more than 330 islands, is slightly smaller than Lower Austria: Premier Bainimarama tends to be seen as close to China and its plans. of penetration in the Pacific, while Rabuka (74) is considered higher farther from Beijing. What they both have in common is that they came to power as high-ranking officers in the armed forces in a coup: Rabuka staged a coup in 1987 (the backdrop was the delicate balance between indigenous Fijians and the large Indian ethnic group). Although he resigned the same year, mainly because of foreign pressure and sanctions, he led a civilian government from 1992 to 1999 after regular elections. Bainimarama led a short-term coup government in 2000, then again from 2006, but also managed to stay in office in a regular election (2014).