Leader of the Opposition (Fiji)

In Fiji, the leader of the Opposition (or Opposition leader) is a senior politician who commands the support of the Official Opposition. The leader of the Opposition by convention heads the largest party not supporting the government: usually this is the parliamentary leader of the second-largest caucus in parliament. It did not originate in Fiji but has a long tradition; in British constitutional theory, the Leader of the Opposition must pose a formal alternative to the government, ready to form a government himself should the Prime Minister lose the confidence of the parliament.

Leader of the Opposition of the Republic of Fiji
Coat of arms of the Republic of Fiji
Incumbent Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu
Term length	While leader of the largest opposition political party not in government
Inaugural holder	Sidiq Koya
Formation	10 October 1970

Typically the leader of the Opposition is elected by his or her party according to its rules. A new leader may be elected when the incumbent dies, resigns, or is challenged for the leadership. Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu of the Social Democratic Liberal Party has been serving as the leader of the opposition since 8 December 2020.

Description of the office

The Leader of the Opposition is chosen by a vote of all members of Parliament who declare that they do not support the government. But before the adoption of the 2013 Constitution, the Leader of the Opposition was formally appointed by the President. The appointment was not at the president's personal discretion, however, as he was required by the Constitution to appoint the person most acceptable to the majority of the Opposition (defined as members of the House of Representatives who belong to political parties not represented in the Cabinet). In theory, that meant the parliamentary leader of the largest Opposition party. In practice, the person most eligible could decline the office, as was the case between 2001 and 2004, when Mahendra Chaudhry, whose Labour Party held 28 of the 30 Opposition seats in the House of Representatives, adamantly refused to accept the position of Leader of the Opposition, insisting that he and his party wanted representation in the Cabinet instead. Until he reversed his position late in 2004 (following the collapse of negotiations with Prime Minister Qarase), this forced the President to appoint Mick Beddoes, the sole parliamentary representative of the United General Party, as Leader of the Opposition.

Under the 1997 Constitution, the Leader of the Opposition chose 8 of the 32 members of the Senate, Fiji's upper house of Parliament, and had the right to be consulted about the appointment of the Chief Justice.

List of Leaders of the Opposition in Fiji (1970–present)

No.	Portrait	Leader	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Election	Prime Minister
1		Sidiq Koya (1924–1993)	1970	1977	6–7 years	NFP	1972 1977 (Mar)	Kamisese Mara
2		Jai Ram Reddy (born 1937)	1977	1984	6–7 years	NFP	1977 (Sep) 1982	Kamisese Mara
(1)		Sidiq Koya (1924–1993)	1984	1987	2–3 years	NFP	—	Kamisese Mara
3		Harish Sharma (born 1932)	1987	1987	0 years	NFP	—	Kamisese Mara
4		Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara (1920–2004)	13 April 1987	14 May 1987	31 days	Alliance	1987	Timoci Bavadra
Vacant (1987 – 1992)
(2)		Jai Ram Reddy (born 1937)	1992	1999	6–7 years	NFP	1992 1994	Sitiveni Rabuka
5		Ratu Inoke Kubuabola (born 1948)	1999	2000	0–1 years	SVT	1999	Mahendra Chaudhry Tevita Momoedonu
Vacant (2000 – 2001)
6		Prem Singh	2001	2002	0–1 years	NFP	2001	Laisenia Qarase
7		Mick Beddoes	2002	2004	1–2 years	UPP	—	Laisenia Qarase
8		Mahendra Chaudhry (born 1942)	2004	2006	1–2 years	Labour	—	Laisenia Qarase
(7)		Mick Beddoes	3 June 2006	5 December 2006	185 days	UPP	2006	Laisenia Qarase
Vacant (5 December 2006 – 6 October 2014)
9		Ro Teimumu Kepa (born 1945) [1][2]	6 October 2014	20 November 2018	4 years, 45 days	SODELPA	2014	Frank Bainimarama
10		Major general (Rtd) Sitiveni Rabuka (born 1948) [3]	26 November 2018 [lower-alpha 1]	7 December 2020	2 years, 11 days	SODELPA	2018	Frank Bainimarama
11		Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu	8 December 2020		55 days	SODELPA	—	Frank Bainimarama

See also

• List of political parties in Fiji
• House of Representatives of Fiji

Notes

1. Suspended from 26 May to 29 June 2020.

References

1. "Members of Parliament". Parliament of the Republic of Fiji. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
2. Fijivillage. "Sitiveni Rabuka elected as SODELPA Party Leader". www.fijivillage.com. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
3. "I am ready, say Rabuka". FijiTimes. Retrieved 2 October 2020.