MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th December, 2022) Fiji's lawmakers have voted to elect Sitiveni Rabuka, 74, of the People's Alliance party as the country's new prime minister.
On Saturday, 28 members of Fiji's parliament supported Rabuka in a secret vote, speaker Naiqama Lalabalavu announced during a video broadcast aired on social media.
Earlier this week, the Social Democratic Liberal Party, the National Federation Party, and Rabuka's People's Alliance party agreed to form a coalition government.
Parliamentary elections were held in Fiji last week, but none of the parties received the necessary number of votes to form a government.
The decision to form a coalition will put an end to the 8-year rule of the FijiFirst party and the 16-year political dominance of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.
Bainimarama received 27 votes during the Saturday secret parliamentary vote.
Bainimarama overthrew Fiji's government in a 2006 military coup, introduced a new constitution in 2013, and won elections twice.
