2022 Fijian general election

2022 Fijian general election

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All 55 seats in Parliament 28 seats needed for a majority
Registered	693,915
Turnout	68.30% (3.62pp)
First party Second party   Leader Frank Bainimarama Sitiveni Rabuka Party FijiFirst People's Alliance Last election 50.02%, 27 seats – Seats won 26 21 Seat change 1 New Popular vote 200,246 168,581 Percentage 42.55% 35.82% Swing 7.47 pp New   Third party Fourth party   Leader Biman Prasad Viliame Gavoka Party NFP SODELPA Last election 7.38%, 3 seats 39.85%, 21 seats Seats won 5 3 Seat change 2 18 Popular vote 41,830 24,172 Percentage 8.89% 5.14% Swing 1.51 pp 34.71 pp
Prime Minister before election Frank Bainimarama FijiFirst Subsequent Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka People's Alliance

Politics of Fiji
Constitution History
Executive President (list) Wiliame Katonivere Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka Cabinet Attorney-General Siromi Turaga Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu
Legislative Parliament Speaker: Naiqama Lalabalavu
Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice: Kamal Kumar Court of Appeal High Court
Elections Electoral system Voting Political parties Post-independence elections 1972 Mar 1977 Sep 1977 1982 1987 1992 1994 1999 2001 2006 2014 2018 2022 Next
Local government Recent local elections 2002 2005
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister: Sitiveni Rabuka Diplomatic missions of / in Fiji Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
Former and informal Monarchy Governor Governor-General Chief Minister Executive Council House of Representatives Constituencies Open Communal National Legislative Council Great Council of Chiefs Chairman Senate Vice-President
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General elections were held in Fiji on 14 December 2022 to elect the 55 members of Parliament.^[1][2] The elections took place following the passage of controversial electoral amendments.

In addition to a struggling economy, significant campaign issues included the national debt, ethnic tensions and tackling poverty. During the preliminary count, the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) app displaying the results experienced a glitch, prompting FEO to take down the app temporarily. Once the app was back in operation, the vote tally showed the ruling FijiFirst party leading, resulting in five opposition parties demanding a recount and for the counting process to cease. Observers said they had not seen any significant voting irregularities, adding that an initial anomaly with an app showing the results had been rectified.

Of the nine parties that contested the election, four passed the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament, but no party won a majority. FijiFirst won a plurality, securing 26 seats. The newly formed People's Alliance (PA) secured 21 seats, while its coalition partner, the National Federation Party (NFP), won five. The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA), which placed second in the 2018 election, retained three seats.

Negotiations to form a government began following the election, with FijiFirst and the PA-NFP coalition seeking to win over the kingmaker SODELPA. After several days, on 20 December, SODELPA's management board voted to form a coalition government with the People's Alliance and the NFP, ending the FijiFirst government's eight-year rule and Bainimarama's 16-year tenure as prime minister. The ruling FijiFirst party refused to concede the election, instead waiting for MPs to elect the new Prime Minister during the first session of parliament. This session, scheduled for 21 December, was delayed, as no public announcement came from the President. SODELPA's management board met for a second time on 23 December and again voted to form a government with the PA-NFP coalition.

President Katonivere called for the first parliamentary session since the election in the morning of 24 December. Naiqama Lalabalavu was elected and confirmed as Speaker by parliament garnering 28 votes of the 55 cast. Sitiveni Rabuka was elected and confirmed as Prime Minister by parliament on the same day garnering 28 votes of the 55 cast, officially ending Frank Bainimarama's 16-year tenure as Prime Minister and cementing the PA-NFP-SODELPA government. Bainimarama then conceded defeat peacefully.