Fiji’s current Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama loses his parliamentary majority In the South Pacific country, after completing a review this Sunday marked by allegations of fraud to gain influence in the region in a key country on the pulse between China and the United States.
The final results of the Fiji elections held on 14 December, A draw was agreed between Bainimarama’s party Fiji First and opposition leader Sitiveni Rabuka’s People’s AllianceBoth formations took 26 of the 55 seats in Parliament, according to the Election Commission.
Since none of the parties won a majority in the parliament, Negotiation period opens The two entities are expected to court the Social Democratic Party, which will allow them to form a three-seat government.
The uncertain outcome is the icing on the cake after days of contentious counting following the Fiji Election Office. suspends election night recount after a decision in the execution of the election results, this then placed the People’s Alliance of Rabuka in the lead.
Rabuka, who initiated two military coups in 1987 and was later elected prime minister (1992-1999) He later reassured the count that he “did not trust”.announced that he would write these facts to the election inspectorate, the army commander and the president.
Without providing further details, “If we need to refer to certain aspects of the Constitution, we will do that.” said.
International observers overseeing the elections assured Friday: There were no “irregularities” in the election process.
negotiation process between the parties, uncertainty to a country that has suffered four blows in the last 35 years
Bainimarama came to power after leading a coup in 2006.He was confident that he would be re-elected for a third time in the 2014 and 2018 elections with about 46 percent of the vote, 33 percent of the opposition alliance.
What goes on in Fiji has significance beyond the island, because Bainimarama seen close to ChinaRabuka has signaled he wants to move away from Beijing at a time when the world’s second-largest economy is trying to sign a controversial multilateral security agreement with the region.
As a result, The US strengthened its diplomacy in the regionand Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Fiji in February, the first visit by a US diplomatic chief to the island in 36 years.
In addition to coping with China’s growing influence in the region, the next leader will have to address climate crisisdecline in tourism due to the covid-19 outbreak or ethnic rivalry in the country.
Fiji archipelago More than 300 islands with over 900,000 inhabitants It has a new Constitution that has been ratified without citizen approval since 2013 and has experienced great tension between the Fijian Melanesian community and the Indian community since it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1970.