Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday, extended his best wishes to Sitiveni Rabuka, the newly elected premier of Fiji. PM Modi also stoked optimism about bolstering relations between the two nations.
"Congratulations @slrabuka on your election as the Prime Minister of Fiji. I look forward to working together to further strengthen the close and long-standing relations between India and Fiji (sic)," PM Modi wrote on Twitter.
Earlier on Saturday, December 24, Rabuka, the former military commander, was sworn in as Prime Minister of Fiji, ending a tumultuous week in a fragile Pacific democracy.
The 74-year-old won the nomination by one vote over incumbent Frank Bainimarama at a sitting of the Fijian Parliament in Suva.
Rabuka's rise to the country's top post
Rabuka, the head of the People’s Alliance Party, won after forming a majority coalition with two other parties following last week’s close and contentious election. On Thursday, army and navy personnel were reportedly called in to protect minority groups over threats against them following the December 14 vote.
During his swearing-in ceremony, Rabuka pledged to “obey, observe, uphold and maintain” the constitution of his nation.
He said he spoke with Bainimarama, the head of the Fiji First Party who had ruled for almost 16 years, to thank him for his contributions.
“We appreciate what they have done. Some could have been better. But we have to get in there first to see what they have done and what’s left for us to complete. We have six months of the last budget to run,” he told reporters.
Fiji experienced four military coups over past 35 years
It should be mentioned here that Fiji has experienced four military coups over the past 35 years, and both Rabuka and Bainimarama have held lead roles in previous moves to oust former Fijian leaders.
The tripartite coalition had announced on Tuesday its intention to form a government with a combined 29 seats compared to the 26 held by Bainimarama’s party.
The People’s Alliance Party and the affiliated National Federation Party shared 26 seats but were able to form an alliance with the Social Democrat Liberal Party to break the deadlock.
A secret ballot of lawmakers on Saturday chose Rabuka 28-27. The result indicated that one member of the new ruling coalition was against the change in the Prime Minister.
(With inputs from AP)
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