FijiFirst
FijiFirst | |
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Leader | Frank Bainimarama |
President | Tema Varo[1] |
Secretary-General | Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum |
Founded | 31 March 2014 |
Registered | 30 May 2014 |
Headquarters | 96 Brown Street, Suva |
Ideology | Liberalism[2] Populism Civic nationalism |
Political position | Centre |
Colours | Blue |
Slogan | The best future for all Fijians |
MPs | 27 / 51
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Website | |
fijifirst | |
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Incumbent Timeline
General elections
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FijiFirst is a populist political party in Fiji. The party was formed in March 2014 by the current Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama.
Formation[edit]
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.[3]
Bainimarama says FijiFirst is a name that encompasses his political beliefs.[4]
He listed his first candidate and party president Jiko Luveni.[5]
The party collected over 40,000 signatures for the registration of the party.[6]
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.[7] 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.[8]
The party's application for registration resulted in six complaints,[9] including one from a party which had previously used the "Fiji First" name.[10] Despite this, the party was registered on 30 May 2014.[11]
2014 election[edit]
The party released its first batch of 21 candidates on July 25, 2014[12] 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.[13]
2018 election[edit]
The party ran 51 candidates in the 2018 elections, ten of which were women.[14] 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.[15][16]
Electoral history[edit]
Parliamentary elections[edit]
Election | Party leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Government |
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2014 | Frank Bainimarama | 293,714 | 59.17% | 32 / 50
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Government |
2018 | 227,241 | 52.94% | 27 / 51
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Government |
References[edit]
- ^ N, Edwin; FBCNews. "FijiFirst appoints new party President". Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
- ^ Ratuva, Steven; Lawson, Stephanie, eds. (2016). The People Have Spoken: The 2014 Elections in Fiji. ANU Press. p. 149. ISBN 9781760460020.
- ^ "'I want a new Fiji' - Fiji Times Online". Archived from the original on 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
- ^ "Pacific.scoop.co.nz » Fiji First unveiled as Bainimarama's new party name for elections". Retrieved 2014-04-26.
- ^ "Fiji First registration now weeks away - Radio New Zealand News". Retrieved 2014-04-26.
- ^ "Fiji's Bainimarama lodges party application - Radio New Zealand News". Retrieved 2014-05-08.
- ^ "FijiFirst man quits over criminal record". Archived from the original on 2014-05-08. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
- ^ "I did not have to think twice - Tui Macuata". Retrieved 2014-05-08.
- ^ "Fiji First Party approval outlined". Radio New Zealand International. 2014-06-02. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
- ^ "Fiji First party registration decried". Radio New Zealand International. 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
- ^ "Fijian PM's Fiji First party officially registered". Shanghai Daily. 2014-05-30. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
- ^ Swamy, Nasik. "FijiFirst candidates". Fiji Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ "2014 Election Results". Fiji Elections Office. Archived from the original on 2014-09-21. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
- ^ "Six political parties to contest Fijian elections". RNZ. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
- ^ "2018 General Election: FijiFirst wins and will form next government". The Fiji Times. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- ^ Talebula Kate (18 November 2018). "2018 General Election: FijiFirst secures 27 seats to form government". Fiji Times. Retrieved 18 November 2018.