The final results published Sunday, December 18 put the outgoing Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, and his political rival Sititiveni Rabuka, neither managing to obtain a majority of seats in Parliament.
MO12345LEMONDE With AFP
In the Fiji Islands, the outgoing Prime Minister’s party, Frank Bainimarama, and the coalition led by its SIDITINi Rabuka political rival should each obtain 26 seats within the Parliament which has 55, according to the official statement of the legislative elections published on Sunday December 18 by the Fijian electoral office. The ballot took place on Wednesday December 14.
These results come to close an eventful campaign marked by accusations of fraud and calls for army intervention. They place the country in the impasse.
The training of the next government will undoubtedly be the fruit of a long process of negotiations, the two parties courting already the social democratic party, which holds three seats and the key of a majority.
The relationship to China, an essential issue of the ballot
Social Democrats are led by the very religious Viliame Gavoka, former president of the Fijian Union of Rugby, who was blurred with Mr. Bainimarama and M. Rabuka.
Fiji have 900,000 inhabitants and the outcome of this ballot has a regional scope: Mr. Bainimarama approached China, while Mr. Rabuka and Mr. Gavoka both suggested to distend ties Beijing.
Earlier this week, the Social Democrats joined a coalition formed by five parties to call for the immediate judgment of the voting count and the opening of an investigation. Rabuka, twice putschist, said that the voting accounting process was “surrounded by secret”. He was questioned by the police after asking for the intervention of the army.
m. Bainimarama took power during a coup in 2006, and legitimized his government by without appeal electoral victories in 2014 and 2018.