Politics of Fiji Constitution of Fiji Main article - Preamble Chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ::9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Executive government President - Vice-President Prime Minister - Cabinet Leader of the Opposition Legislative government Parliament Senate House of Representatives Speaker Judicial government Main article High Court Court of Appeals Supreme Court Chief Justice Local government Main article Municipal elections 2002 - 2005 Other political institutions Great Council of Chiefs Chairman, G.C.C. Political parties Historical institutions Governor Governor-General Chief Minister Legislative Council Electoral system Main article Open constituencies Communal constituencies National constituencies Elections in Fiji Main article 1966 - 1972 March 1977 - September 1977 1982 - 1987 - 1992 1994 - 1999 - 2001 2006 Foreign affairs Foreign relations of Fiji File links The following pages link to this file: Foreign relations of Fiji Fiji Suva Freedom House Atu Ratu-mai-mbula Samulayo Burotu Degei Murimuria Cibaciba and Drakulu Dakuwanga Lewalevu Lingadua Nabangatai Ndauthina Ndengei Ngendi Ngurai Tui Delai Gau Vitu OFC Nations Cup List of national flags Fijian language 1995... Constitutional Structure See main article: Constitution of Fiji and linked articles. ... Background The Constitution of the Republic of the Fiji Islands dates from 1997. ... This article is a commentary on the Preamble to the Fijian constitution. ... Chapter 1: The State. ... Chapter 2: Compact. ... Chapter 3: Citizenship. ... Chapter 4: Bill of Rights. ... Chapter 5: Social Justice. ... Chapter 6: The Parliament. ... Chapter 7: Executive Government. ... Chapter 8 Great Council of Chiefs (Bose Levu Vakaturaga) Chapter 8: Executive Government. ... Chapter 9 Judiciary Section 117 Judicial power (1) The judicial power of the State vests in the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court and in such other courts as are created by law. ... Chapter 10 State Services Section 140 Recruitment and promotion policy The recruitment of persons to a state service, the promotion of persons within a state service and the management of a state service must be based on the following principles: (a) government policies should be carried out effectively and efficiently... Chapter 11 Accountability Part 1 Code of Conduct Section 156 Code of Conduct (1) This section applies to the President, Vice-President, Ministers, members of Parliament, holders of offices established by or continued in existence under this Constitution, members of commissions, Secretaries of departments, the Secretary to the Cabinet and... Chapter 12 Revenue and Expenditure Section 175 Raising of revenue The raising by the Government of revenue or moneys, whether through the imposition of taxation or otherwise, must be authorised by or under an Act. ... Chapter 13 Group Rights Section 185 Alteration of certain Acts (1) A bill alters any of the following Acts, namely: (a) Fijian Affairs Act; (b) Fijian Development Fund Act; (c) Native Lands Act; (d) Native Land Trust Act; (e) Rotuman Act; (f) Rotuman Lands Act; (g) Banaban Lands Act; or... Chapter 14 Emergency Powers Section 187 Emergency powers (1) The Parliament may make a law conferring power on the President, acting an the advice of the Cabinet, to proclaim a state of emergency in Fiji, or in a part of Fiji, in such circumstances as the law prescribes. ... Chapter 15 Amendment of Constitution Section 190 Alteration of Constitution This Constitution maybe altered in the way set out in this Chapter and may not be altered in any other way. ... Chapter 16 Commencement, Interpretation and Repeals Section 193 Short title and commencement (1) This Act maybe cited as the Constitution Amendment Act 1997. ... [Chapter 17] Schedule Oaths and Affirmations [Part 1] A. Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance Oath: I, A.B., do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Republic of the Fiji Islands, according to law. ... Fiji became a republic in 1987, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom formally abdicated as Queen of Fiji, following two military coups led by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka. ... The Fijian vice-presidency is a mostly ceremonial office. ... Fiji received its independence in 1970. ... Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. ... The post of Leader of the Opposition is a political office common in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. ... Fijis Parliament is bicameral. ... The Senate of Fiji is the upper chamber of Parliament. ... Overview The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fijis Parliament. ... The Speaker is the presiding officer of the Fijian House of Representatives. ... The High Court of Fiji is independent of the legislative and executive branches of the acting government. ... The Chief Justice is Fijis highest judicial officer. ... Fiji is divided administratively into four divisions, which are further subdivided into fourteen provinces. ... The Great Council of Chiefs (Bose Levu Vakaturaga in Fijian) is a constitutional body in the Republic of the Fiji Islands. ... The Great Council of Chiefs The Great Council of Chiefs (Bose Levu Vakaturaga in Fijian) is a formal assembly of Fijis senior hereditary chiefs, along with some representatives of the national government and provincial councils, who may or may not be hereditary chiefs themselves. ... A political party is a political organization subscribing to a certain ideology or formed around very special issues with the aim to participate in power, usually by participating in elections. ... Fiji was a British Crown Colony from 1874 to 1970, and an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth from 1970 to 1987. ... Fiji became a British Crown Colony in 1874, and an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth in 1970; the British Monarch (Queen Elizabeth II remained the Head of State until 1987, when she formally abdicated following two military coups). ... Fijis British colonial rulers established the office of Chief Minister in October 1967, along with the Cabinet system of government. ... The Fijian Legislative Council was the colonial precursor to the present-day Parliament, which came into existence when Fiji became independent on 10 October 1970. ... // Historical overview Fijis electoral system is the result of complex negotiations, compromises, and experiments conducted over the years leading up to and following independence from British colonial rule in 1970. ... Open constituencies represent one of several electoral models employed in the past and present in the Fijian electoral system. ... Communal constituencies have been the most durable feature of the Fijian electoral system. ... National constituencies are a former feature of the Fijian electoral system. ... Elections in Fiji gives information on election and election results in Fiji. ... The general election to the Fijian Legislative Council in 1966 was the last to be held before independence from the United Kingdom was granted in 1970. ... Politics of Fiji Categories: Stub | Elections in Fiji | Fiji-related stubs ... Fijis election for the House of Representatives held in March 1977 was the second since independence from the United Kingdom in 1970. ... A general election to Fijis House of Representatives was held in September 1977, to resolve the impasse of an earlier election that had been held in March. ... Politics of Fiji Categories: Stub | Elections in Fiji | Fiji-related stubs ... The general election of April 1987 was Fijis fifth since the country had gained its independence from the United Kingdom seventeen years earlier. ... A general election was held to restore Fiji to democracy in 1992. ... Fiji held a general election in 1994, three years earlier than scheduled. ... The general election to the Fijian House of Representatives, held in May 1999, was historic. ... The Constitution of Fiji was restored by a Supreme Court decision, following the failure of the Fiji coup of 2000. ... Fiji maintains an independent, but generally pro-Western, foreign policy. ...

The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. The last election was held in September 2001; the next is due by September 2006 at the latest, and on 5 October 2005 the Fiji Village news service quoted Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase as saying that August 2006 was a likely date. This would ensure the installation of a new administration before the present government's mandate ends on 11 September, he said. Background The Constitution of the Republic of the Fiji Islands dates from 1997. ... Elections in Fiji gives information on election and election results in Fiji. ... Overview The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fijis Parliament. ... The Constitution of Fiji was restored by a Supreme Court decision, following the failure of the Fiji coup of 2000. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 2005(MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fiji received its independence in 1970. ... Laisenia Qarase (born February 4, 1941) is the Prime Minister of Fiji. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ...

Election characterized by ethnic politics

Elections in Fiji are characterized by two fundamental realities.

• Firstly, for the past generation, the basic faultline of Fijian politics is not ideological, but ethnic, with most political parties appealing mainly to a single ethnic group, although many parties would say that is not their intention.

• Secondly, the electoral system is based on transferable voting, known locally as the "alternate vote." Votes cast for low-polling candidates are transferred to higher-polling candidates according to a ranking of "preferences" specified by the candidates, though voters who so wish may customize the preferences. This makes it necessary, in many cases, for political parties to seek alliances to win constituencies.

Depending on ideological, demographic, and electoral factors, parties may seek to consolidate their position in communal constituencies (reserved by ethnicity) by forging alliances with other parties appealing to the same ethnic group, or improve their position in open constituencies (elected by universal suffrage) by entering into alliances with parties that appeal to different ethnic groups. There are 46 communal constituencies (23 reserved for indigenous Fijians, 19 for Indo-Fijians, 1 for Rotuman Islanders, and 3 for minorities such as Caucasians, Chinese, and Banaban Islanders), and 25 open constituencies. Constitutional Structure See main article: Constitution of Fiji and linked articles. ... Indigenous Fijians are a mixture of Polynesian and Melanesian, resulting from the original migrations to the South Pacific many centuries ago. ... A political party is a political organization subscribing to a certain ideology or formed around very special issues with the aim to participate in power, usually by participating in elections. ... When the single transferable vote voting system is applied to a single-winner election it is sometimes called instant-runoff voting (IRV), as it is much like holding a series of runoff elections in which the lowest polling candidate is eliminated in each round until someone receives majority vote. ... Communal constituencies have been the most durable feature of the Fijian electoral system. ... Open constituencies represent one of several electoral models employed in the past and present in the Fijian electoral system. ... Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of suffrage, or the right to vote, to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief or social status. ... Fijians are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands. ... Indo-Fijian - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Rotuma - NASA NLT Landsat 7 (Visible Color) Satellite Image Rotuma (including the islands of Hatana, Hofliua, Rotuma, Solkope, Solnohu and Uea) are volcanic islands of approximately 43 square kilometers, located at 12°35′ S 177°10′ E, approximately 465 kilometers north of Fiji. ... General Electors is the term used in Fiji to identify citizens of voting age who belong, in most cases, to ethnic minorities. ... Banaba can have the following meanings: Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa) is a type of tree that grows in Thailand. ...

Coalition politics

For the 2006 election, most of the major parties led by indigenous Fijians have formed a coalition, tentatively known as the Grand Coalition Initiative Group, in an attempt to consolidate the indigenous vote; the coalition appears certain to be dominated by the United Fiji Party (SDL) and the Conservative Alliance (CAMV), the two parties forming the nucleus of the present ruling coalition of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. Jump to: navigation, search 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Politics of Fiji Categories: Fiji-related stubs | Fijian political parties ... The Conservative Alliance (Matanitu Vanua in Fijian) is a nationalistic political party in Fiji. ... Fiji received its independence in 1970. ... Laisenia Qarase (born February 4, 1941) is the Prime Minister of Fiji. ...

On the other hand, intense rivalry between the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) of former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and the National Federation Party, the two main parties with significant Indo-Fijian support, appears to make any alliance between them problematic. Both have expressed interest in forming a multi-racial alliance with the National Alliance Party (NAPF) of Ratu Epeli Ganilau (an avowedly multiracial party) and the United Peoples Party of Mick Beddoes, which appeals mostly to minority groups. On 16 October, the UPP announced that negotiations to form an electoral pact with the FLP had been concluded, and the decision to go ahead had been endorsed by the UPP executive the day before. Consultations between both parties and the NAPF are ongoing, with Ganilau announcing on 17 October that a decision on whether or not to forge an electoral pact with the FLP and UPP would be announced after a meeting of party executives.. The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji. ... Mahendra Pal Chaudhry (born 9 February 1942) is the leader of the Fiji Labour Party and currently the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. ... Politics of Fiji Categories: Stub | Fijian political parties | Fiji-related stubs ... The National Alliance Party of Fiji (NAP) is a Fijian political party. ... Ratu Epeli Ganilau (born 10 October 1951) is a Fijian soldier and statesman, who served as Chairman of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga (Great Council of Chiefs) from 2001 to 2004. ... The United Peoples Party is a political party in Fiji, whose support base lies chiefly among General Electors - Fiji Islanders who belong to ethnic minorities, such as Europeans, Chinese, Banaban Islanders, as well as multiracial people. ... Mick Beddoes Millis Malcome Beddoes, widely known as Mick Beddoes, is a Fijian politician, who has led the United Peoples Party (formerly the United General Party) since 2001. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in Leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ...

SDL Executive Director Jale Baba said that the deal between the FLP and the UPP had been expected, and that the SDL did not see it as a threat. He also said that it was possible that the SDL might form partnerships with parties not involved with the Grand Coalition.

Crossing the faultline

The two major political parties, the SDL and the FLP, are both attempting to break out of their ethnic cocoons. The SDL, which presently has only one Indo-Fijian in its Parliamentary caucus and attracted less than one percent of the Indo-Fijian vote in 2001, has announced that it will contest all 19 communal constituencies reserved for Indo-Fijians, with General Secretary Jale Baba saying that the party is "confident" of winning most of them. The FLP, for its part, is hoping to win some of the 23 communal seats reserved for indigenous Fijians for the first time. Although founded in the mid-1980s by Timoci Bavadra, an indigenous Fijian, it lost most of its indigenous support in the 1990s and attracted barely two percent of the indigenous vote in 2001, which saw only two indigenous candidates elected on the FLP ticket, neither from a Fijian communal constituency. Jump to: navigation, search 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Jump to: navigation, search // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... Timoci Uluivuda Bavadra (September 22, 1934 - November 3, 1989) was a medical doctor who served for one month as the Prime Minister of Fiji in 1987 and who founded the Fiji Labour Party. ... Jump to: navigation, search // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but otherwise retaining the same mindset. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

Both parties have expressed optimism about their gambits, with Prime Minister Qarase saying on Radio Sargam (affiliated to Fiji Village) on 5 October that the SDL expected to win an absolute majority in the 71-member House of Representatives, and regarded as many as 50 seats as a real possibility. October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ...

Calls for restraint in rhetoric

Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes spoke out on 30 September to call on politicians to avoid using hate speech in the run-up to the election. He said the police would prosecute anyone who appealed for votes on the basis of hate or fear. Jump to: navigation, search September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 92 days remaining. ... Hate speech is a controversial term for speech intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against someone based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. ...

United Peoples Party leader Mick Beddoes similarly called on party leaders to exert better control over members making public statements, while SDL General Secretary Jale Baba said that the making of hate speeches by any member of the party would never be tolerated. The United Peoples Party is a political party in Fiji, whose support base lies chiefly among General Electors - Fiji Islanders who belong to ethnic minorities, such as Europeans, Chinese, Banaban Islanders, as well as multiracial people. ... Mick Beddoes Millis Malcome Beddoes, widely known as Mick Beddoes, is a Fijian politician, who has led the United Peoples Party (formerly the United General Party) since 2001. ... Politics of Fiji Categories: Fiji-related stubs | Fijian political parties ...

Allegations of enrollment irregularities

Some politicians have alleged that there have been irregularities in the process of the registration of voters in the leadup to the election.

United Peoples Party leader Mick Beddoes alleged in September 2005 that persons of multiracial ancestry were being encouraged by electoral officials to register on the indigenous communal roll, rather than the General Electors' roll. While the Constitution empowers persons of multiple ethnic origins to decide for themselves what roll to choose, Beddoes said that officials were providing prospective voters with registration forms only for the indigenous and Indo-Fijian rolls, not the General Electors' one. The United Peoples Party is a political party in Fiji, whose support base lies chiefly among General Electors - Fiji Islanders who belong to ethnic minorities, such as Europeans, Chinese, Banaban Islanders, as well as multiracial people. ... Mick Beddoes Millis Malcome Beddoes, widely known as Mick Beddoes, is a Fijian politician, who has led the United Peoples Party (formerly the United General Party) since 2001. ... Ongoing events • Abramoff-Reed gambling scandal • Atlantic hurricane season • Avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak in Asia • Bali bombings investigation • California wildfires • UK Conservative Party leadership election • DeLay political financing scandal • Dengue outbreak in Singapore • FIDE World Chess Championship 2005 • Fiji Week, 2005 • Fuel prices • Gomery Comm. ... The terms multiracial, biracial, and mixed-race describe people whose ancestors are not of a single race. ...

Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry has alleged that multiple irregularities have arisen in the enrollment of Indo-Fijians. In some areas, he said, none had been able to register, elderly and disabled members of the community had been told they did not need to register; some had been registered for the wrong constituencies, while others had been wrongly recorded with their given names and surnames reversed, rendering the registration invalid. On 6 October, he called for the registration process to be halted and begun again from scratch. He wondered aloud whether the irregularities were a deliberate ploy to reduce the numbers of Indo-Fijians enrolled for the 2006 election. This would not affect the number of communal seats held by Indo-Fijians, which is constitutionally fixed at 19, but could have an effect on the results in the 25 open constituencies elected by universal suffrage. The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji. ... Mahendra Pal Chaudhry (born 9 February 1942) is the leader of the Fiji Labour Party and currently the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. ... Jump to: navigation, search A given name specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name. ... A family name, or surname, is that part of a persons name that indicates to what family he or she belongs. ... Jump to: navigation, search October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in Leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• List of parliamentary elections in Fiji