Former Fiji PM Frank Bainimarama Quits Parliament Following Unjustified Suspension – Frank Bainimarama, the ex-prime minister of Fiji, has stepped down from his position in the country’s parliament. He had been suspended earlier for making seditious and insulting remarks towards the president.
Bainimarama announced his resignation via his political party’s Facebook page, stating that he was leaving his parliamentary post “with immediate effect,” but had no plans to retire from politics altogether. Parliament suspended Bainimarama in February, and he was banned until 2026 due to a speech in which he criticized President Wiliame Katonivere and his successor, Sitiveni Rabuka.
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Bainimarama accused Katonivere of neglecting his duty to safeguard the constitution, which he claimed was being gradually dismantled by Rabuka’s administration. In a statement on Wednesday, Bainimarama described his three-year suspension for breaching parliamentary procedure as “unwarranted and most certainly unjustified”.
“However, the decision has been made by parliament and I have complied with the decision.” While Bainimarama will remain leader of FijiFirst, his resignation means his opposition party can retain “at all times” their 26 seats in the country’s 55-seat parliament.
A FijiFirst member will take Bainimarama’s place, and according to him, his party will propose one of his previous ministers, Inia Seruiratu, as the upcoming opposition leader at the next session. “This is to ensure that we keep the three-uneven-legged stool in check,” he added, referring to Rabuka’s coalition government. He added that he would remain strongly involved in the country’s political scene.
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