<hdr>The World Factbook 1994: Fiji<nl>Government</hdr><body>
<list>
<item><hi format=bold>Names:</hi>
<list style=hang>
<item>• <hi format=ital>conventional long form:</hi> Republic of Fiji
<item>• <hi format=ital>conventional short form:</hi> Fiji
</list>
<item><hi format=bold>Digraph:</hi> FJ
<item><hi format=bold>Type:</hi> republic
<list style=hang>
<item>• <hi format=ital>note:</hi> military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987
</list>
<item><hi format=bold>Capital:</hi> Suva
<item><hi format=bold>Administrative divisions:</hi> 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western
<item><hi format=bold>Independence:</hi> 10 October 1970 (from UK)
<item><hi format=bold>National holiday:</hi> Independence Day, 10 October (1970)
<item><hi format=bold>Constitution:</hi> 10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new Constitution was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990; the 1990 Constitution is under review; the review will be complete by 1997
<item><hi format=bold>Legal system:</hi> based on British system
<item><hi format=bold>Suffrage:</hi> none
<item><hi format=bold>Executive branch:</hi>
<list style=hang>
<item>• <hi format=ital>chief of state:</hi> President Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since 12 January 1994); First Vice President Ratu Sir Josaia TAIVAIQIA (since 12 January 1994); Second Vice President Ratu Inoke TAKIVEIKATA (since 12 January 1994); note—President GANILAU died on 15 December 1993 and Vice President MARA became acting president; MARA was elected president by the Great Council of Chiefs on 12 January 1994
<item>• <hi format=ital>head of government:</hi> Prime Minister Sitiveni RABUKA (since 2 June 1992)
</list>
<item><hi format=bold>Presidential Council:</hi> appointed by the governor general
<item><hi format=bold>Great Council of Chiefs:</hi> (highest ranking members of the traditional chiefly system)
<list style=hang>
<item>• <hi format=ital>cabinet:</hi> Cabinet; appointed by prime minister from members of Parliament and responsible to Parliament
</list>
<item><hi format=bold>Legislative branch:</hi> the bicameral Parliament was dissolved following the coup of 14 May 1987
<item><hi format=bold>Senate:</hi> nonelective body containing 34 seats, 24 reserved for Melanesians, 9 for Indians and others, 1 for the island of Rotuma
<item><hi format=bold>House of Representatives:</hi> elections last held 18-25 February 1994 (next to be held NA 1997); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(70 total, with ethnic Fijians allocated 37 seats, ethnic Indians 27 seats, and independents and other 6 seats) number of seats by party SVT 31, NFP 20, FLP 7, FA 5, GVP 4, independents 2, ANC 1
<item><hi format=bold>Political parties and leaders:</hi> Fijian Political Party (SVT—primarily Fijian), leader Maj. Gen. Sitivini RABUKA; National Federation Party (NFP; primarily Indian), Jai Ram REDDY; Christian Fijian Nationalist Party (CFNP), Sakeasi BUTADROKA; Fiji Labor Party (FLP), Mahendra CHAUDHRY; All National Congress (ANC), Apisai TORA; General Voters Party (GVP), Max OLSSON; Fiji Conservative Party (FCP), Isireli VUIBAU; Conservative Party of Fiji (CPF), Jolale ULUDOLE and Viliame SAVU; Fiji Indian Liberal Party, Swami MAHARAJ; Fiji Indian Congress Party, Ishwari BAJPAI; Fiji Independent Labor (Muslim), leader NA; Four Corners Party, David TULVANUAVOU; Fijian Association (FA), Josevata KAMIKAMICA
<item><hi format=bold>Flag:</hi> light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove