Fiji’s former military ruler was sworn in as the South Pacific nation’s elected leader on Monday.
The new democratically elected Prime Minister of Fiji Rear Admiral (Ret) Voreqe Bainimarama says he intends to govern for all Fijians.
This was his message to about 4000 party supporters who attended the FijiFirst inter-faith thanksgiving church service at the ANZ Stadium last Sunday.
“While I’m sure supporters of other political parties are disappointed, I want to say to them that this is how parliamentary democracy works.”
“I also want to say to them that I intend to govern for all Fijians.
“I will be your Prime Minister too because I passionately believe in one nation, one Fiji and that everyone has a place in it, whoever you are, wherever you come from and whoever you voted for.”
Bainimarama said he believed that an overwhelming majority of Fijians have turned their backs on the politics of division and embraced a united future.
“We have chosen the path of fairness and justice. The path of equal opportunity,”he said.
“To the minority who are still caught in the past, I say to you, please come and let’s all move forward together – we must have an inclusive Fiji in which no one is left behind.
“I am the Prime Minister of all Fijians, for all Fijians.”
A Pacific studies academic Steven Ratuva says Bainimarama’s landslide victory in the Fiji election is mainly due to his appeal to all ethnicities.
He says the prime minister’s FijiFirst party garnered about 58 percent of the indigenous Fijian vote and about 70% of the Indo-Fijian.
“For the Indo-Fijians, since the 1987 coup and since the 2000 coup they’ve been looking for something and that is political security.”
“For them security can be provided most effectively by an indigenous Fijian who provides them that political space and support.”
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