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FijiFirst

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FijiFirst
LeaderFrank Bainimarama
PresidentTema Varo[1]
Secretary-GeneralAiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
Founded31 March 2014
Registered30 May 2014
Headquarters96 Brown Street, Suva
Youth wingFijiFirst Youth
Ideology
Political positionCentre
Colours  Light blue
SloganThe best future for all Fijians
Parliament of Fiji
26 / 55
Website
fijifirst.com
This article is part of
a series about
Frank Bainimarama
2006–2022 2022–2023
Timeline
General elections

FijiFirst (Template:Lang-fj) is a liberal political party in Fiji. The party was formed in March 2014 by then Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama.

Formation

The party was launched on 31 March 2014 with Bainimarama beginning a nationwide tour of the country in a campaign bus to collect the obligatory 5000 signatures necessary to register a political party.[4] The party collected over 40,000 signatures for its registration.[5]

Bainimarama says FijiFirst is a name that encompasses his political beliefs.[6] He announced his first candidate as party president Jiko Luveni.[7]

The party appointed former Fiji Labour Party senator Bijai Prasad as one of its Vice Presidents as well as the current Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum as the party General secretary. Bijai Prasad resigned as VP a day later citing a criminal conviction for larceny in the 1980s for which he had served jail time.[8] The Tui Macuata, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere was also selected as a vice president of the party. Vimlesh Kumar who is an accountant and an affiliate member of CPA Australia is listed as the treasurer.[9]

The party's application for registration resulted in six complaints,[10] including one claiming that "Fiji 1st" was previously used by another party.[11] Despite this, the party was registered on 30 May 2014.[12]

2014 election

The party released its first batch of 21 candidates on July 25, 2014[13] with Frank Bainimarama heading the list. As a result of the 2014 Fijian general elections, the party won 293,714 votes, 59.2% of all those who voted (495,105 voters), giving the party a clear majority with 32 of the 50 Parliamentary seats.[14]

2018 election

The party ran 51 candidates in the 2018 elections, ten of which were women.[15] FijiFirst won the 2018 general elections with a reduced majority from the 2014 elections. FijiFirst accumulated 227,241 of the votes that resulted on the party gaining 50.02% that allocated to 27 seats enough for the party to govern alone within a slim majority.[16][17]

2022 election

Despite remaining the first party in the 2022 election FijiFirst saw its vote share reducing again down to 42.55%, causing the party to lose its majority in the Parliament.[18] With only 3 seats the SODELPA emerged as kingmaker,[19] and after 6 days of negotiations it decided to support a PAP-led cabinet, effectively ending FijiFirst's eight-year tenure and Bainimarama's 16-year premiership.[20]

On March 29, 2023, Inia Seruiratu was elected as the Leader of the Opposition taking over from Frank Bainimarama[21]

On 18 May 2023 the party was suspended and prohibiting from acting as a political party for 30 days for failing to submit annual accounts.[22][23] The suspension was lifted on 9 June after the party submitted audited accounts.[24]

Electoral history

Parliamentary elections

Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
2014 Frank Bainimarama 293,714 59.17%
32 / 50
 New Increase 1st Government
2018 227,241 52.94%
27 / 51
 Decrease 5 Steady 1st Government
2022 200,246 42.55%
26 / 55
 Decrease 1 Steady 1st Opposition

References

  1. ^ Nand, Edwin. "FijiFirst appoints new party President". Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
  2. ^ Ratuva, Steven; Lawson, Stephanie, eds. (2016). The People Have Spoken: The 2014 Elections in Fiji. ANU Press. p. 149. ISBN 9781760460020.
  3. ^ "Fiji to stay secular state: Bainimarama".
  4. ^ "'I want a new Fiji' - Fiji Times Online". Archived from the original on 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  5. ^ "Fiji's Bainimarama lodges party application - Radio New Zealand News". 5 May 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  6. ^ "Pacific.scoop.co.nz » Fiji First unveiled as Bainimarama's new party name for elections". Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  7. ^ "Fiji First registration now weeks away - Radio New Zealand News". 25 April 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  8. ^ "FijiFirst man quits over criminal record". Archived from the original on 2014-05-08. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  9. ^ "I did not have to think twice - Tui Macuata". Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  10. ^ "Fiji First Party approval outlined". Radio New Zealand International. 2014-06-02. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  11. ^ "Fiji First party registration decried". Radio New Zealand International. 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  12. ^ "Fijian PM's Fiji First party officially registered". Shanghai Daily. 2014-05-30. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  13. ^ Swamy, Nasik. "FijiFirst candidates". Fiji Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  14. ^ "2014 Election Results". Fiji Elections Office. Archived from the original on 2014-09-21. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
  15. ^ "Six political parties to contest Fijian elections". RNZ. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  16. ^ "2018 General Election: FijiFirst wins and will form next government". The Fiji Times. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  17. ^ Talebula Kate (18 November 2018). "2018 General Election: FijiFirst secures 27 seats to form government". Fiji Times. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  18. ^ Fijivillage. "Final results out with no party securing more than 50 percent of the total votes in the 2022 general elections". www.fijivillage.com. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
  19. ^ "SODELPA is kingmaker". Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
  20. ^ "Fiji has a new coalition government; Rabuka to be PM". RNZ. 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  21. ^ "Seruiratu elected Opposition Leader". Fijivillage. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  22. ^ "Four Fiji political parties suspended for 30 days over accounts". Fiji Times. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  23. ^ "FijiFirst, New Generation Party and All People's Party social media accounts have gone offline". Fiji Village. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  24. ^ "FEO lifts suspension of FijiFirst". Fiji Village. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
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