Fiji's new president makes history

Transcript

For the first time Fiji's president will be a non-iTaukei man with no chiefly links.

The former Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Jioji Konrote, has been elected by parliament as president.

Our correspondent Vosita Kotoiwasawasa told Koro Vaka'uta about Mr Konrote.

VOSITA KOTOIWASAWASA:  Mr Konrote is Rotuman and is a retired Major-General of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and also a former diplomat.  He is currently the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations with the government that is currently in parliament.  From 2001 to 2006 Konrote had served in many diplomatic posts overseas and he also returned at the end of March 2006 to represent the Rotuman Communal Constituency at the 2006 elections and was subsequently appointed the Minister of State for Immigration in the cabinet of Laisenia Qarase who was the Prime Minister at the time.  His role in this portfolio ended when the government was deposed in a military coup.  Despite serving in the Qarase government Konrote became a cabinet in Bainmarama's party, the Fiji First Party, in the 2014 election and he was appointed the minister in his current portfolio before he was elected president.

KORO VAKA'UTA:  In terms of the other candidates, who else stood for this post of president?

VK:  There were only two candidates nominated.  Ratu Epeli Ganilau was nominated by the opposition while Jioji Konrote was nominated by the government members.

KV:  I understand during the process of voting for the presidency, it wasn't all smooth sailing, there was a group that abstained.  Can you tell us about that?

VK:  Three members of opposition who had abstained from voting altogether, they were members of the National Federation Party, because they felt the process to elect the president was supposed to symbolise the unity of the nation, (but), had not been depoliticised.  According to them it lacked bipartisanship with both the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition nominating their own nominees and it wasn't done through dialogue and consultation.

KV:  Given those concerns, how has the appointment of Mr Konrote been received across Fiji?

VK:  There have been mixed reactions right across, even on social media.  The majority of the people are proud of the fact that for the first time ever in the history of Fiji a non-iTaukei and with no links of being a chief is being selected as the president of Fiji.  While some people are seeing this is a turnover to what they have been used to, many young people are receptive to the idea that Fiji is now finally moving forward from the old ways of thinking that former politicians had instilled in the minds of the people.  Now many young people are receptive to the idea that a Rotuman is now the president of Fiji.