Prime Minister of Fiji

Head of the government of Fiji

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji is the head of government of Fiji. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President. In 2022, Sitiveni Rabuka became the current Prime Minister.

Prime Minister of the
Republic of Fiji
Coat of arms of
the Republic of Fiji
Incumbent
Sitiveni Rabuka

since 24 December 2022
StyleThe Right Honourable
SeatGovernment Buildings, Suva
AppointerPresident of Fiji
Inaugural holderKamisese Mara
Formation10 October 1970
SalaryFJ$ 328,750 annually[1]
Websitehttp://www.pmoffice.gov.fj/

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

No. Prime Minister Took office Left office Time in office Party Election Head of State
Prime ministers of the Dominion of Fiji
1Mara, KamiseseRatu Sir
Kamisese Mara
(1920–2004)
10 October 197013 April 198716 years, 185 daysAlliance1972
1977 (Mar)
1977 (Sep)
1982
Elizabeth II
2Bavadra, TimociTimoci Bavadra
(1934–1989)
13 April 198714 May 198731 daysLabour1987Elizabeth II
Vacant (14 May 1987 – 5 December 1987)[a]
Prime ministers of the Republic of Fiji
(1)Mara, KamiseseRatu Sir
Kamisese Mara
(1920–2004)
[b]
5 December 19872 June 19924 years, 180 daysIndependentPenaia Ganilau
3Rabuka, SitiveniMajor general (Rtd)
Sitiveni Rabuka
(born 1948)
2 June 199219 May 19996 years, 351 daysSVT1992
1994
Penaia Ganilau
Kamisese Mara
4Chaudhry, MahendraMahendra Chaudhry
(born 1942)
19 May 199927 May 20001 year, 8 daysLabour1999Kamisese Mara
5Momoedonu, TevitaRatu
Tevita Momoedonu
(1941–2020)
[c]
27 May 200027 May 20000 daysLabourKamisese Mara
Vacant (27 May 2000 – 4 July 2000)[a]
6Qarase, LaiseniaLaisenia Qarase
(1941–2020)
[d]
4 July 200014 March 2001253 daysIndependentFrank Bainimarama
Josefa Iloilo
Momoedonu, TevitaRatu
Tevita Momoedonu
(1941–2020)
Acting
14 March 200116 March 20012 daysLabourJosefa Iloilo
(6)Qarase, LaiseniaLaisenia Qarase
(1941–2020)
16 March 20015 December 20065 years, 264 daysSDL2001
2006
Josefa Iloilo
Senilagakali, JonaDr.
Jona Senilagakali
(1929–2011)
Acting
[e]
5 December 20064 January 200730 daysIndependentFrank Bainimarama
Bainimarama, FrankCommodore
Frank Bainimarama
(born 1954)
Acting
[f]
5 January 200722 September 20147 years, 260 daysRFMFJosefa Iloilo
Epeli Nailatikau
8Bainimarama, FrankCommodore (Rtd)
Frank Bainimarama
(born 1954)
22 September 201424 December 20228 years, 93 daysFijiFirst2014
2018
Epeli Nailatikau
Jioji Konrote
Wiliame Katonivere
9Rabuka, SitiveniMajor general (Rtd)
Sitiveni Rabuka
(born 1948)
24 December 2022Incumbent1 year, 94 daysPeople's Alliance2022Wiliame Katonivere

Notes change

  1. 1.0 1.1 Two military coups in 1987 and a civilian coup d'état in 2000 left Fiji without a Prime Minister each time.
  2. Mara's party, the Alliance Party, was dissolved in the wake of the 1987 coups, so he was effectively a non-partisan 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.[2]
  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.[3][4]

References change

  1. Government of Fiji Gazette (3 October 2014). "PARLIAMENTARY REMUNERATIONS DECREE 2014 (DECREE NO. 29 OF 2014)" (PDF). www.parliament.gov.fj.
  2. "Military now in charge in Fiji". Fiji Times. 5 December 2006. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  3. "Fiji's Bainimarama steps down as PM", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 10 April 2009
  4. "Commodore Bainimarama sworn in as Prime Minister" Archived 15 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Fiji government, 11 April 2009