Tonga has been given a tough draw at next year’s Rugby League World Cup, including a showdown with arch-rivals Samoa at Parramatta.
The Kristian Woolf-coached Tongans have been drawn in Group C, which means they play matches against Group B sides England, Samoa and Lebanon.
Their round-three showdown with Samoa on November 1 at CommBank Stadium is set to be a sellout after 44,682 fans watched the Samoans beat Tonga 34-6 at Suncorp Stadium in this year’s Pacific Cup.
Defending World Cup champions Australia will kick off the 10-nation men’s tournament against Pacific Cup holders and Group A rivals New Zealand on October 15 at Allianz Stadium.
The Kangaroos, who swept England 3-0 in the recent Ashes series, will then play the remaining Group A sides Fiji and the Cook Islands in the following weeks.
Group A’s four sides play each other once in the three round-robin clashes ahead of the semi-finals, and the final at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, November 15.
The semi-finals will be held at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium and Sydney’s Allianz Stadium.
Group B and C feature three teams apiece, but sides in each will play three games against those in the opposite group.
Tonga, PNG and France make up Group B.
Tonga have been handled a difficult draw in the men’s tournament. (Getty Images: Matt King)
The top two sides from Group A go through to the semi-finals, while the six teams in Groups B and C will form a ladder of their own, with the top two playing semis.
That makes Tonga’s task, which includes clashes against England in Perth on October 17 and their showdown with Samoa, tougher than any other team’s.
World Cup titles for men, women and wheelchair will be contested in Australia and Papua New Guinea, with 14 nations and 26 teams playing 53 matches across 31 days.
The Women’s World Cup boasts eight sides with Australia, Samoa, England and Wales in Group A. Group B consists of New Zealand, PNG, France and Fiji.
Each team will play three matches against the other teams in their group. The top two teams from each group will progress to the semis.
Australia and Samoa will open the tournament at CommBank Stadium on October 16.
The same two-group format applies in the Wheelchair World Cup, with England, Ireland, Wales and the USA in Group A and Australia, Scotland, France and New Zealand in Group B.
All the wheelchair showdowns will be held at Wollongong’s WIN Entertainment Centre.
Australian Rugby League (ARLC) chairman Peter V’landys said the World Cup would build on the success of both domestic and international rugby league.
“Rugby League World Cup 2026 couldn’t come at a better time on the back of record-breaking NRL and NRLW seasons, a successful Ashes series, and the most exciting Pacific Championships ever,” he said.
“Representing your country is the ultimate honour and doing so in a World Cup is the ultimate stage. The talent, skill, physicality, passion and raw emotion on display will be something like we have never seen before.
“This will be the best and most successful Rugby League World Cup on record.”
Two 17-year-old students have allegedly been found with cocaine and marijuana on school premises with one in Nausori and the other in Lautoka.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police – Operations, Livai Driu says in Lautoka, white substances believed to be cocaine were found on a school premises allegedly belonging to a 17-year-old student.
In another case, a 17-year-old student who was found with dried leaves believed to be marijuana on school premises.
The matter is being investigated by Nausori Police.
He says the substances have been sent for analysis.
ACP Driu is urging parents and guardians to talk to their children about the consequences of drug use as well as other harmful substances.
He stresses the need for children to be constantly reminded of the implications drugs has on their health, education and future.
ACP Driu says while police and other stakeholders are doing their best to spread awareness on the harmful effects of drugs, parents and guardians must also reinforce a similar message at home.
He further says the Fiji Detector Dog Unit is currently in the Northern Division assisting with drug operations as drug related arrests and seizures continue to be made around the five policing divisions this past week.
ACP Driu says raids and snap traffic checks have been conducted with positive outcomes as a result of information sharing from members of the public.
ACP Driu said arrests and seizures recorded this past week have been made in Nabouwalu,…
A total of 1,705 Marijuana plants have been uprooted in the Northern Division by the police this week.
This is part of the Fiji Police Force’s Operation in the North.
Police say on Monday, 2 plants were uprooted from Viani Village in Savusavu, on Tuesday, 3 plants were uprooted from a farm in Wawaku and 145 from Nabalebale Hill in Viani.
They say on Wednesday 204 plants were uprooted from the Nasavi farm in Navakavaka and 139 from the Navadra farm.
On Thursday, 289 plants were uprooted from Natuvu Hills and on Friday, 1014 plants were uprooted from Tacilevu Village.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations Livai Driu says they have yet to identify the owners of the farm but investigation is underway.
ACP Driu says they are thankful to the members of the community for assisting in the fight against drugs.
He also says the war against drugs continues and police are working closely with our stakeholders to identify the owners of these farms.
WAF kindly advises its customers residing in the areas above to store and use water wisely for their immediate needs during this temporary disruption period.
The Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) wishes to advise its customers from Votualevu to the Namaka Central Business District (CBD) as well as the Denarau Island corridor that they will be experiencing low water pressure and intermittent water supply at times from 2 pm Friday 29 December until 6 am Sunday 30 December 2023.
Affected areas include: Naboutini Back Road, Legalega, Voivoi, Sabeto, Nasoso, Naisoso Island, Martintar, Kennedy, Wailoaloa, Fantasy Island, Denarau Island, Nadi Town, Nakurakura, Nadi Hospital, Lolobalavu elevated area, Namotomoto Village, Narewa Village, Navoci Village, Nakavu Village and Saunaka Village.
The interruption in the water supply is to allow WAF to undertake urgent repairs and replacement works on the defective reservoir outlet valve at the Blackrock Reservoir which supplies clean treated water to customers from Votualevu to the Namaka Central Business District (CBD) as well as the Denarau Island corridor.
WAF reiterates that the anticipated valve replacement and repair works are critical, hence it needs to be prioritised for replacement to maintain consistent water supply to its…
Globally, more people searched about sleep this year than ever before, according to data released by Google Trends last week. People are turning to the internet to learn about bedtime routines, sleep positions and to understand — “Why am I so tired all the time?” — a question which peaked in June, according to Google.
In fact, restorative sleep eludes so many that it’s given rise to a new type of travel. Hotels and wellness resorts are launching “sleep tourism” programs that go beyond plush bedding and blackout curtains.
From beds that use real-time artificial intelligence to on-call hypnotherapists, here are six spots that go to great lengths to help travelers get great shut-eye.
For those who need to switch off completely, London’s two Zedwell hotels have minimalist rooms that are free of “distractions” — such as televisions, telephones and even windows — according to its website.
Zedwell Hotel, London.
Source: Zedwell Hotels Trocadero (London) Hotel Ltd
The clutter-free aesthetic incorporates natural oak and ambient lighting, and rooms have sound insulation and purified air.
Sleep-deprived guests can book a sleep wellness program that ranges from three to 10 days at Six Senses Laamu. Each stay comes with sleeping tracking, wellness screenings, spa treatments, meditation or breathwork exercises and nutritional advice, according to its website.
Six Senses Laamu, Maldives.
Source: Eleven Six PR
There are also yoga and Ayurvedic treatments, and visitors get access to the Timeshifter app to curb jet lag.
Sleep packages are also available at select Six Senses resorts in Switzerland, Fiji, India, Turkey and Thailand, among other locations.
For restless sleepers in the Big Apple, New York’s Park Hyatt refreshed its three “Sleep Suites” with the latest version of Bryte’s “Balance” smart beds.
Park Hyatt Hotel, New York.
Source: Park Hyatt New York
The mattress plays sounds and uses subtle motion to lull guests to sleep. To wake up, the bed gradually moves over a period of 15 minutes to slowly and silently wake users up again. Within the mattress, a matrix of AI cushions adapts to body movements to relieve pressure in real time, too.
Suites also come with a diffuser and relaxing essential oil blend, along with a collection of “sleep-related books,” according to the hotel.
Partnering with sleep specialist and hypnotherapist Malminder Gill, The Cadogan has a “Sleep Concierge” service that comes with a meditation (recorded by Gill), pillow menu, weighted blanket, bedtime tea blend and scented pillow mist.
The Cadogan, London.
Source: The Cadogen, A Belmond Hotel
For extra help, guests can book a session with Gill for one-on-one in-room sleep assistance, according to the hotel’s website.
From ocean-front rooms on Miami Beach, this resort applies a tech-forward approach to sleep wellness through vibration and sound therapy that will provide an “essential powernap — even for the busiest of minds,” according to the hotel’s website.
Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, Miami.
Source: Carillon Miami Wellness Resort
In addition to having Bryte Balance mattresses, the resort provides hypnosis, saltwater bath therapies that allow guests to immerse in water loaded with 800 pounds of Epsom salt, and a “Somadome” futuristic meditation pod that combines color and sound, according to the website.
With the help of sleep medicine specialist, Dr. Vicente Mera, guests at this luxury hotel and wellness clinic can participate in its “Sleep Medicine” program, which includes a sleep consultation, night-time polygraph, a continuous positive airway pressure (or CPAP as it’s known) study and tests that measures sleep and daytime indicators, such as resting heart rate and heart-rate variability, according to its website.
Sha Wellness Clinic, Alicante, Spain.
Source: Sha Wellness Clinic
A wellness plan is put in place for each guest that includes stress management sessions and hydrotherapy.
Amusement parks and road trips — this is this stuff many family vacations are made of.
But a new survey shows parents increasingly want in on a trend that isn’t often aimed at families: wellness travel.
A report published Thursday by the market intelligence company Morning Consult showed that parents, compared with others, showed less interest in traveling to relax or for cultural experiences, and more interest in traveling for mental and physical health.
The data showed an emerging picture of family travel — one in which parents may be starting to prioritize their own needs alongside those of their children.
American Kristen Graff took a diving trip with her family to Fiji in 2022.
“It was something we could all do that was active,” she said.
But “we were doing it for us,” she said, referring to herself and her husband. The kids just happened to be invited too, she said with a laugh.
Purpose of leisure travel for trips planned in next year.
Source: Morning Consult
She said the family reserved one day for kid-centric activities, like all-terrain vehicle riding, but spent most of their time in the water. Graff said she and her husband are avid divers, and, as it turned out, her sons ended up loving it too.
Compared with nonparents, parents were nearly twice as likely to have plans to travel to improve their physical health, according to Morning Consult’s survey of some 2,200 American adults.
And the trend appears to be growing. Traveling for physical health is up eight points among parents since last year, saidLindsey Roeschke, travel and hospitality analyst at Morning Consult.
“One bit of data I find particularly interesting is, when looking at the various goals for traveling, we asked parents who benefits from those goals — the parent themself, the kids, someone else, or everyone on the trip — and the idea of traveling to improve physical health is the one most likely to benefit the parent alone,” she said.
And “mental health is a close second,” she said.
One in five adult respondents said they are planning to travel to improve their mental health, but among parents the rate rose to nearly one in three — perhaps reflecting the lack of time parents have in their daily lives to focus on their own well-being, according to the report.
“The idea of traveling for mental or physical wellness is attractive to them because they themselves feel the benefit of it, rather than putting someone else’s needs before their own — which parents have to do all the time,” Roeschke said.
Compared with nonparents, parents indicated less interest in traveling to relax or “get away,” according to the survey.
However, that’s likely because parents accept the realities of traveling with kids — especially young ones. Parents of children under the age of five are the least likely to say they travel to escape or get away, according to another Morning Consult report on family travel published in November.
Simply put, it’s harder for parents to relax when traveling,
Lindsey Roeschke
travel and hospitality analyst at Morning Consult
Parents of young kids are also the most likely to be deterred from traveling, because of costs or the added stress of lugging around car seats and strollers, according to the report.
“Simply put, it’s harder for parents to relax when traveling,” said Roeschke. “I’ve often heard it said that traveling with a child is just parenting in a new location, and it can actually be more difficult than parenting at home due to schedule changes, lack of comforts of home — like toys, games, cribs, highchairs — and upended routines.”
Parents also showed less enthusiasm to travel to spend time with family and friends, the May report showed.
“Parents are doing that often at home, so they’re less likely to think of it as the purpose of their trip,” she said.
Though some wellness resorts only allow adults, places like The Farm at San Benito welcome guests of all ages.
The resort — located 90 minutes south of Manila, Philippines — has children’s meditation and fitness classes alongside animal-feeding and vegetable-picking activities, according to its website.
In February, Napa Valley’s Carneros Resort and Spa debuted a spring “Little Seedlings” program for children that includes garden tours and chicken feeding. Kids can also take yoga classes, embark on scavenger hunts and sleep outside in a tent — fireside smores included.
“Napa doesn’t just have to be an adults-only experience,” said managing director Edward Costa. “The Little Seedlings program was designed to inspire our youngest guests … while allowing the adults to fully embrace the charm and amenities of our luxury resort.”
Guests must be at least 17 years old to visit the BodyHoliday Saint Lucia, but the all-inclusive resort makes an exception on major holidays and during fitness-themed weeks in the summer. From July 3 to Aug. 25, the family-based fitness weeks combine yoga, sailing, healthy cooking and “beach boot camps” hosted by visiting Olympians.
Rather than a resort stay, parents can plan their own wellness trips based on their interests.
One activity that suits many families is the safari, said Mike Harlow, the general manager of the travel agency Scott Dunn Asia.
“We are able to customize safari holidays for families with little ones to see the Big Five in South Africa,” he said.
Places like Madikwe Safari Lodge are ideal for families, he said, because they combine shorter game drives with bush and bug activities and animal tracking to ensure kids never get bored.
Madikwe Safari Lodge accepts children aged seven and older, and drives don’t go as close to dangerous game, according to its website.
Hoberman Collection | Universal Images Group | Getty Images
In the winter, Harlow recommends Sweden for sleigh rides, watching the Northern Lights and a stay at the Ice Hotel — which has beds and chandeliers made of ice — while families keen on history can cruise the Nile in Egypt.
Parents can also swap the traditional family vacation for a couples or even solo trip — or by booking a trip that includes just part of the family.
“Globally, we’ve noticed a growing trend of one parent taking one child away for a bonding holiday,” said Harlow. “Mother and daughter trips, in particular, are on the rise.”
As humans, our need for connection is primal. But sometimes we have to travel to the edges of the Earth to find it.
We recently crossed the Pacific for Your Paradise, an idyllic destination music festival on the remote Fijian island of Malolo Lailai, or “The Island of the Resting Sun.” 6,000 miles away from the influencer-infested covens of Los Angeles, we discovered a community as vibrant as the island’s crystalline waters.
Roughly 500 people converged on Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands for the 2022 edition of Your Paradise, the first since the return of live music in the wake of the pandemic. Nestled in a halcyon shoreline, the festival is what happens when daydreams shed their idealistic layers and become reality.
“If you come to Your Paradise once, you’ll come for the rest of your life,” said Harry Duncan, a fan who told us he’d been on his fifth pilgrimage to the fest.
The oceanfront mainstage at the 2022 Your Paradise music festival in Fiji.
c/o Your Paradise
It’s easy to let your mind wander to the hellscape of Fyre Festival, which turned hedonism into a socioeconomic crime. After that dumpster fire, you were a buffoon if you talked about your weeklong plan to jaunt between an oceanfront mainstage, yacht parties and a private bungalow in the middle of a Fiji jungle. But that’s unfair to the organizers of Your Paradise, who now have nine years of experience under their belt—eight more than felon-in-chief Billy McFarland.
Fyre and the destination festivals toiling through its aftershock are not mutually exclusive. And after attending Your Paradise in 2022, one thing became clear: this community doesn’t care for fraud. That’s the beauty of its members, whose priorities lie in shared experiences and collective bonding—not their next Instagram captions.
“Multiple factors come together at Your Paradise to create true connection—the remoteness of the location means everybody leaves home behind and leaves room to build new relationships,” said Ignacio Garcia, Co-Founder and Director of Your Paradise. “The length of the event is key too. Six days on the island allows for relationships to foster and in different ways, you might meet someone on the dancefloor one night and end up doing yoga and having dinner with them a few days later.”
c/o Your Paradise
“As adults, we often struggle to meet likeminded people,” Garcia adds, “and I feel Your Paradise really gives guests the platform to do just that.”
Take, for instance, the festival’s legion of Australian attendees, who only had to fly roughly four hours from the Land Down Under. Partying with these warm, gregarious ravers became commonplace, as did bear-hugs with complete strangers.
If the Aussies’ infectious personalities didn’t pull you in like a magnet to a fridge, it was their unbridled love of drum & bass music. Their energy enveloped us on a giant catamaran, where sun-kissed moshpits rattled the ocean to the sounds of Netsky and Sub Focus.
When you weren’t exploring Malolo Lailai—and trying not to step on one of the island’s millions of tropical frogs—you were partying at sea. Your Paradise’s official programming featured a slew of seafaring parties with performances from major artists.
The most extraordinary of these parties went down at Cloud 9, a dazzling dayclub smack dab in the middle of an oceanic nowheresville. The only way to get to “Fiji’s Floating Paradise” was via boat transfer, and when you disembarked, you stepped foot on a two-level platform surrounded by nothing but turquoise water and breathtaking panoramic views of the archipelago.
Cloud 9, a floating club located on the Roro Reef off Fiji’s Malolo Island.
c/o Your Paradise
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There’s nothing in the world quite like Cloud 9, where it took a crowbar to pry the smile from your face. We danced nonstop under the sun. Passion fruit mojitos and Blue Curaçao cocktails were dished out like candy on Halloween. People dove off the roof and into the ocean below. Staff served free Italian wood-fired pizza.
“Skinny people are easy to kidnap. Stay safe, eat pizzas,” reads a sign behind the bar.
If you were lucky enough to catch Ben Böhmer‘s DJ set at Cloud 9, you were at the epicenter of one of the most intimate music festival experiences in the world.
Ben Böhmer performing at Cloud 9.
c/o Your Paradise
Böhmer’s performance was just one example of Your Paradise’s unique infrastructure, which bulldozes the imaginary wall between a festival’s attendees and its headlining artists. On any given morning, you could eat bacon and eggs with Böhmer or soak up some sun with Kito.
Over at the oceanfront mainstage, electronic music superstar Getter hopped on the mic at one point—after burping into it—and invited the crowd to skydive with him the next morning.
“Being a festival of only 600 to 800 people, you’ve got your attendees, artists and festival staff all staying at the same island resort for the week. This intimate setting can create a sense of exclusivity and allow artists to connect with their fans in a more personal way,” said Blake Chapman, a member of Your Paradise’s air and ground transfer logistics team. “Have you ever been walking to dinner and casually bump into Netsky, who stops and wants to have a conversation with you about your day? Or been asked to go skydiving with Getter? Or gone surfing with What So Not at Cloudbreak? All of these things have happened to me at Your Paradise.”
Getter performing at the 2022 Your Paradise music festival in Fiji.
c/o Your Paradise
Chapman says many artists booked to perform at Your Paradise end up asking to come back.
“I believe artists love performing at Your Paradise because it’s like nothing else they can experience anywhere in the world,” he adds. “It’s essentially a working holiday where they can relax on a tropical island and experience the local culture and way of life in Fiji, while also performing and playing their music to quite a diverse and dedicated, intimate audience. Their crowd is really there to see them.”
The music festival and its artists were only part of the story. It was tough not to fall in love with Fijian culture thanks to the island’s charismatic locals, who greeted us with a blissed-out “Bula!” at every turn. Their charm warmed the island just as much as the beating sun.
Your Paradise also recently become an official member of the Mamanuca Environment Society (MES), a nonprofit founded by local businesses to support the environmental protection of Fiji’s west coast. Throughout the week, the festival’s organizers hosted a number of community-based volunteer programs, like tree-planting sessions.
c/o Your Paradise
New Year’s resolutions you never asked for are coming to a TikTok near you, force-fed down your throat like geese for foie gras. Ignore the gym bros trying to sucker you into an Orangetheory membership and instead consider treating yourself to a bucket list trip to Fiji.
You can now register for Your Paradise 2023 and explore packages here.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Sitiveni Rabuka was sworn in as Fiji’s prime minister on Saturday, capping a tense week in a fragile Pacific democracy where the former military commander first held office more than two decades ago.
The 74-year-old won the nomination by one vote over incumbent Frank Bainimarama at a sitting of the Fijian Parliament in Suva.
During his swearing-in ceremony, Rabuka pledged to “obey, observe, uphold and maintain” the constitution of his nation.
He said he spoke with Bainimarama, the head of the Fiji First Party who had ruled for almost 16 years, to thank him for his contributions.
“We appreciate what they have done. Some could have been better. But we have to get in there first to see what they have done and what’s left for us to complete. We have six months of the last budget to run,” he told reporters.
Fiji has experienced four military coups over the past 35 years, and both Rabuka and Bainimarama have held lead roles in previous moves to oust former Fijian leaders.
The tripartite coalition had announced on Tuesday its intention to form a government with a combined 29 seats compared to the 26 held by Bainimarama’s party.
The People’s Alliance Party and affiliated National Federation Party shared 26 seats but were able to form an alliance with the Social Democrat Liberal Party to break the deadlock.
Bainimarama and Fiji First had refused to concede the election results in the days following the polls.
A secret ballot of lawmakers on Saturday chose Rabuka 28-27. The result indicated that one member of the new ruling coalition was against the change in prime minister.
The same ballot split occurred in voting for the roles of house speaker and deputy speaker earlier during a Christmas Eve parliamentary session that lasted three hours.
Rabuka had said prior to Saturday’s sitting that his pending election would mark “a turning point in Fiji’s modern history.”
Rabuka, who was also prime minister between 1992 and 1999, instigated two coups in 1987.
Bainimarama led a coup in 2006 that ousted Laisenia Quarase as prime minister, a role he then assumed until the elevation of Rabuka on Saturday.
Earlier in Saturday’s parliamentary session, Naiqama Lalabalavu was appointed the new speaker of the house after a secret ballot saw him receive one vote more than Fiji First candidate Epeli Nailatikau, who served as president of Fiji from 2009 to 2015.
The leaders of Fiji’s closest regional allies welcomed the election of Rabuka.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described his nation and Fiji as members of the same “family” in a social media post, adding that he looks forward to “strengthening our countries’ relationship even further in 2023.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hailed “our very warm relationship” with Fiji and said she looked forward to working with Rabuka. She also acknowledged Bainimarama’s leadership, saying he had created “an important legacy for Fiji” as a regional leader in several areas including climate change.
MELBOURNE, Australia — Sitiveni Rabuka was confirmed as Fiji’s next prime minister on Saturday more than two decades after the former military commander first held the office in a term lasting nearly seven years.
The 74-year-old won the nomination by one vote over incumbent Frank Bainimarama at a sitting of the Fijian Parliament in Suva.
Rabuka, the head of the People’s Alliance Party, was elevated to the position after forming a majority coalition with two other parties following last week’s close and contentious election.
He will be officially sworn in later Saturday at Government House.
The tripartite coalition had announced on Tuesday its intention to form a government with a combined 29 seats compared to the 26 held by Bainimarama’s Fiji First Party.
The People’s Alliance Party and affiliated National Federation Party shared 26 seats but were able to form an alliance with the Social Democrat Liberal Party to break the deadlock.
But Bainimarama, who had served as Fiji’s prime minister for almost 16 years, and Fiji First refused to concede the election results in the days following the polls.
A secret ballot of lawmakers on Saturday chose Rabuka 28-27.
The result indicated that one member of the new ruling coalition was against the change in prime minister.
The same ballot split occurred in voting for the roles of house speaker and deputy speaker earlier during a Christmas Eve parliamentary session lasting three hours.
It has been a tense week in Fiji, a Pacific nation where democracy remains fragile.
On Thursday, army and navy personnel were reportedly called in to protect minority groups over threats against them following the election.
There have been four military coups in Fiji over the past 35 years, and both Rabuka and Bainimarama have held lead roles in previous moves to oust former Fijian leaders.
Rabuka, who was also prime minister between 1992 and 1999, instigated two coups in 1987.
Bainimarama instigated a coup in 2006 that led to the removal of Laisenia Quarase as prime minister, a role he then assumed until the elevation of Rabuka on Saturday.
Earlier in the sitting, Naiqama Lalabalavu was appointed the new speaker of the house after a secret ballot saw him receive one vote more than Fiji First candidate Epeli Nailatikau, who served as president of Fiji from 2009 to 2015.
The Fijian Parliament in the capital Suva convened on Saturday to vote in Rabuka, who is now holding the prime minister’s job for a second time. The 74-year-old said he felt “humbled” as he made his way out of parliament after winning the nomination over incumbent Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.
The two-time coup leader and former prime minister, Rabuka — still referred to by his nickname “Rambo” — narrowly triumphed over Bainimarama by 28 votes to 27 in a secret ballot, Parliamentary Speaker Naiqama Lalabalavu announced.
Breaking – Frank Bainimarama thanks the FijiFirst supporters and says “this is democracy and this is my legacy. The 2013 Constitution.” #FijiPolpic.twitter.com/irLMTdHIRV
Rabuka, the head of the People’s Alliance Party (PAP), won the nomination after forming a majority coalition with two other smaller parties following last week’s close and contentious election result. He locked in the coalition deal to form a government on Friday afternoon, after successfully wooing the kingmaker Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA).
SODELPA had earlier chosen Rabuka’s PAP over Bainimarama’s Fiji First, but that initial vote was ruled invalid by the country’s election supervisor, and Bainimarama’s Fiji First refused to concede the election.
Rabuka is scheduled to be officially sworn in later on Saturday at Government House.
A chorus of cars honked in celebration as they drove past the parliamentary building after the vote.
The European Union ambassador for the Pacific, Sujiro Seam, tweeted his congratulations to Rabuka shortly after the announcement.
The military had been deployed on the streets of Suva as Rabuka and Bainimarama this week raced to cobble together a coalition government following the deadlocked general election.
Citing unsubstantiated reports of ethnic violence, Bainimarama said the military was needed to maintain “law and order”. But Rabuka — who served as prime minister between 1992 and 1999 — said the government was “sowing fear and chaos” and “trying to set the nation alight along racial lines”.
It had been a tense week in Fiji, where democracy remains fragile. There have been four military coups in Fiji over the past 35 years, and both Rabuka and Bainimarama have held lead roles in previous moves to remove former Fijian leaders.
Rabuka instigated two coups in 1987, and Bainimarama seized power through a 2006 putsch and then legitimised his government with outright election wins in 2014 and 2018.
While not an outright autocrat, Bainimarama’s government had frequently used the legal system to sideline opponents, silence critics and muzzle the media.
Rabuka — who represented his country in rugby union and athletics — commanded two infantry battalions on peacekeeping duties in Lebanon and in the Sinai Desert, Egypt. He was awarded the French Légion d’honneur for bravery in saving a French officer during an attack on the UN headquarters in Lebanon in 1980.
He made his first mark in politics when he emerged from relative obscurity to stage his first military coup in 1987, arguing that Indigenous Fijians were losing control of their nation to the descendants of ethnic Indians. He went on to instigate another coup in the same year to depose the leadership he had just installed. He later handed power to an interim administration, but remained commander of the army and minister of home affairs. Rabuka contested in the next election in 1992 and was democratically elected as prime minister, serving until 1999.
