FijiFirst

FijiFirst is a centrist and populist political party in Fiji. The party was formed in March 2014 by the current Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama.

FijiFirst
LeaderFrank Bainimarama
PresidentVacant
Secretary-GeneralAiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
Founded31 March 2014
Headquarters96 Brown Street, Suva
IdeologyLiberalism
Populism
Political positionCentre
ColoursBlue
SloganThe best future for all Fijians
MPs
27 / 51
Website
fijifirst.com
This article is part of
a series about
Frank Bainimarama
Incumbent
Timeline
General elections

Formation

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.[1]

Bainimarama says FijiFirst is a name that encompasses his political beliefs.[2]

He listed his first candidate and party president Jiko Luveni.[3]

The party collected over 40,000 signatures for the registration of the party.[4]

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.[5] The Tui Macuata, Ratu Viliame 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.[6]

The party's application for registration resulted in six complaints,[7] including one from a party which had previously used the "Fiji First" name.[8] Despite this, the party was registered on 30 May 2014.[9]

2014 election

The party released its first batch of 21 candidates on July 25, 2014[10] 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.[11]

2018 election

The party ran 51 candidates in the 2018 elections, ten of which were women.[12] 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.[13][14]

Electoral history

Parliamentary elections
Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Government
2014 Frank Bainimarama 293,714 59.17%
32 / 50
 32 1st Government
2018 227,241 52.94%
27 / 51
 5 1st Government

References
  1. "'I want a new Fiji' - Fiji Times Online". Archived from the original on 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  2. "Pacific.scoop.co.nz » Fiji First unveiled as Bainimarama's new party name for elections". Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  3. "Fiji First registration now weeks away - Radio New Zealand News". Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  4. "Fiji's Bainimarama lodges party application - Radio New Zealand News". Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  5. "FijiFirst man quits over criminal record". Archived from the original on 2014-05-08. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  6. "I did not have to think twice - Tui Macuata". Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  7. "Fiji First Party approval outlined". Radio New Zealand International. 2014-06-02. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  8. "Fiji First party registration decried". Radio New Zealand International. 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  9. "Fijian PM's Fiji First party officially registered". Shanghai Daily. 2014-05-30. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  10. Swamy, Nasik. "FijiFirst candidates". Fiji Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  11. "2014 Election Results". Fiji Elections Office. Archived from the original on 2014-09-21. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
  12. "Six political parties to contest Fijian elections". RNZ. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  13. "2018 General Election: FijiFirst wins and will form next government". The Fiji Times. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  14. Talebula Kate (18 November 2018). "2018 General Election: FijiFirst secures 27 seats to form government". Fiji Times. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
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