From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime Minister someone who can control a majority of votes in the House of Representatives. In practice, this is normally the leader of the largest political party or coalition in the house. If there is no clear majority in the House of Representatives, however, the President's role becomes more important: he or she must assume the role of arbitrator and open negotiations with the leaders of the various political parties, in the hope of finding someone whom a majority will accept as Prime Minister. In the event of that failing to take place, the President must dissolve the House of Representatives and call an early election.
Cabinet Ministers are formally appointed by the President, but he is constitutionally required to do so only on the advice of the Prime Minister. An unusual feature of the Fijian constitution is its provision for a compulsory coalition cabinet - even if one party has a parliamentary majority in its own right. Every political party with more than 8 seats in the 71-member parliament must be offered a proportionate number of cabinet posts. If the Prime Minister wishes to give cabinet posts to members of a party with fewer than 8 representatives, he must do so at the expense of his own party, not of other parties in the coalition.
As of February 2004, the Cabinet was as follows.
- Prime Minister: Laisenia Qarase
- Attorney General And Minister For Justice: Qoriniasi Bale
- Minister For Finance And National Planning & Communications: Ratu Jone Kubuabola
- Minister For Education: Ro Teimumu Vuikaba Kepa
- Minister For Commerce, Business Development & Investment: Tomasi Vuetilovoni
- Minister For Home Affairs And Immigration: Joketani Cokanasiga
- Minister For Foreign Affairs And External Trade: Kaliopate Tavola
- Minister For Tourism: Pita Nacuva
- Minister For Regional Development: Ilaitia Tuisese
- Minister For Fisheries And Forests: Konisi Yabaki
- Minister For Agriculture, Sugar And Land Resettlement: Jonetani Galuinadi
- Minister For Health: Solomone Naivalu
- Minister For Lands And Mineral Resources: Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu
- Minister For Women, Social Welfare & Poverty Alleviation: Asenaca Caucau
- Minister For Transport And Civil Aviation: Josefa Vosanibola
- Minister For Local Government, Housing, Squatter Settlement & Environment: Mataiasi Vave Ragigia
- Minister For Labour, Industrial Relations And Productivity: Kenneth Zinck
- Minister For Public Enterprises And Public Sector Reform: Irami Matairavula
- Minister For Works And Energy: Savenaca Draunidalo
- Minister For Youth, Employment Opportunities And Sports: Isireli Leweniqila
- Minister For Multi-Ethnic Affairs: George Shiu Raj
- Minister For Information & Media Relations: Simione Kaitani
