Former soldier in opposition for sixteen years, Mr. Rabuka becomes Prime Minister of Fiji after having concluded a coalition agreement with the Social Democratic Party, in a tense political climate.
MO12345lemonde with AFP
The Fijian Parliament confirmed on Saturday 24 December the opponent Sitifni Rabuka to the post of Prime Minister of the Fiji Islands, after he accused the outgoing government of fueling “fear and chaos” to make his return to the return power.
m. Rabuka won on outgoing Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama by 28 votes against 27 during a secret vote in the Parliament, said the chamber president, Naiqama Lalabalavu.
When he left Parliament before being officially sworn in by the president, Mr. Rabuka, a 74 -year -old former army, said he felt “humble” to be the next first Minister of Fiji. A concert of cars sounded as a sign of celebration in front of the parliament building in the capital, suva.
army deployed
Quickly after the result of the vote, the European Union ambassador for the Pacific, Sujiro Seam, congratulated Mr. Rabuka on Twitter.
The army was deployed in the streets of the capital, following blocked general elections. Quoting unconfirmed ethnic violence reports, Mr. Bainimarama had declared that the army was necessary to maintain “law and order”. But Mr. Rabuka – who himself led two state blows in 1987 – had judged that the government “sowed fear and chaos” and “was trying to ignite the nation according to racial criteria”.
m. Rabuka thus made his political return, after having been Prime Minister of Fiji between 1992 and 1999. Former Faithful International of Rugby, he succeeded in concluding a coalition agreement with the Social Democratic Party to form the government on Friday afternoon, this which allowed him to obtain the majority in Parliament.
fears of “crawling coup”
m. Bainimarama, who came to power after a putsch, had been at the head of the Fiji for 16 years. Under the Fijian Constitution, the army has large powers to intervene in the political sphere and was involved in four coups in the past 35 years.
Many Fijians fear that the allegations of government ethnic violence and the deployment of the army will serve as a pretext for a “crawling coup”. Test your general culture with the editorial staff of the “world” Discover section>
Fiji, a state of more than 300 Pacific islands, have an important indo-fidjian minority and episodes of intestine violence have been observed in the past.