Fiji leader voted in for second term
Fiji has re-elected Frank Bainimarama as Prime Minister for four more years following an election interrupted by foul weather and facing Opposition claims of a lack of transparency.
According to the Fijian Electoral Commission, Bainimarama’s FijiFirst party won 50.2 per cent of the vote to claim 27 of the 51 seats in Fijian Parliament.
The Social Democratic Liberal Party (Sodelpa), led by rival coup leader Sitiveni Rabuka, won 39.9 per cent of the vote, enough for 21 seats.
The National Federation party received 7.4 per cent of the vote.
Support for FijiFirst fell from about 60 per cent in
2014, for which Bainimarama blamed the weather.
“There was a lot of people who didn’t turn up to come and vote because of the weather, so I can understand that,” he told RNZ’s Checkpoint.
Opposition parties questioned the transparency of the vote-counting, but the Fijian Election Office rejected this and an interim Multinational Observer Group report called the process credible.
In a statement, Bainimarama lashed out at opposition parties, calling theirs a campaign “based on lies, hate and fear” that spread “baseless fears” about indigenous iTaukei traditional land.
“These same disruptive politicians of old, aided and abetted by the Fiji Times did not care to tell you the truth — the truth that iTaukei land is not only safe like never before under our constitution but, as total land holding, has grown under FijiFirst.
“Their lies and deception knew no boundaries, as individuals, whole communities and religious sentiments were slandered and belittled in an atmosphere of political deceit.
“Today I ask all who voted for us, and also those that didn’t, to run with us as we all work together to make Fiji a better place.”
It is the second time Fiji has had an election since Bainimarama seized power in a military coup in 2006.
New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji Jonathan Curr said he was pleased to see the democratic process working, the Fiji Sun reports.