The Republic of Fiji Military Forces is the military force of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of about 6,500 active soldiers and approximately 6,200 reservists,it is one of the smallest militaries in the world and the third largest in the South Pacific region. The Ground Force is organised into six infantry and one engineer battalions.
The politics of Fiji take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic. Fiji has a multiparty system with the Prime Minister of Fiji as head of government. The executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Parliament of Fiji. The judiciary is mostly independent of the executive and the legislature.
Kim Christian Beazley is an Australian former politician and diplomat. Since 2022 he has served as chairman of the Australian War Memorial. Previously,he was leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and leader of the opposition from 1996 to 2001 and 2005 to 2006,having previously been a cabinet minister in the Hawke and Keating governments. After leaving parliament,he served as ambassador to the United States from 2010 to 2016 and 33rd governor of Western Australia from 2018 to 2022.
Tupeni Lebaivalu Baba was a Fijian academic,politician,and Cabinet Minister. A founding member of the Fiji Labour Party,he served as a Cabinet Minister in the government of Timoci Bavadra until removed from office by the 1987 Fijian coups d'état,and then one of the two Deputy Prime Ministers in the government of Mahendra Chaudhry until removed from office by the 2000 Fijian coup d'état. After splitting with Choudhry in the wake of the coup,he founded the New Labour Unity Party to contest the 2001 election,but failed to win a seat in Parliament. He unsuccessfully attempting to re-enter politics at the 2006 election under the banner of the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua,and again at the 2014 election as part of the Social Democratic Liberal Party.
The Fijian coups d'état of 1987 resulted in the overthrow of the elected government of Fijian Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra,the deposition of Elizabeth II as Queen of Fiji,and in the declaration of a republic. The first coup d'état,in which Bavadra was deposed,took place on 14 May 1987;a second coup d'état on 25 September ended the monarchy,and was shortly followed by the proclamation of a republic on 10 October. Both military actions were led by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka,then third in command of the Royal Fiji Military Forces.
Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama is a Fijian former politician and naval officer who served as the prime minister of Fiji from 2007 until 2022. A member of the FijiFirst party,which he founded in 2014,he began his career as an officer in the Fijian navy and commander of the Fijian military. Despite being suspended from Parliament,he served as the opposition leader from 24 December 2022 until 8 March 2023,when he resigned and was replaced by Inia Seruiratu.
Major General Sir Neville Reginald Howse,was an Australian Army officer,medical doctor,and politician. He was the first Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC),the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces.
Rear Admiral Peter Ross Sinclair,is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Navy who served as the 35th Governor of New South Wales from 8 August 1990 to 1 March 1996. Born in Manly,New South Wales,he was educated at North Sydney Boys High School before joining the Navy through the Royal Australian Naval College.
Major-General Jioji Konousi "George" Konrote,is a Fijian politician and retired Major-General of the Fiji Military who served as the President of Fiji from 2015 to 2021. After commanding a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon,Konrote served as Fiji's High Commissioner to Australia from 2001 to 2006,as Minister of State for Immigration briefly in 2006,and as Minister for Employment Opportunities,Productivity and Industrial Relations from 2014 to 2015. He was the first non-iTaukei president,the first not to be a chief,and the first Seventh-day Adventist to be elected by parliament,as previous presidents were selected by the Great Council of Chiefs.
David Ian Feeney is a former Australian politician. He was the Labor member for the division of Batman in the House of Representatives from 7 September 2013 to 1 February 2018. Before that,he was a member of the Australian Senate for Victoria from 2008 until his resignation to contest Batman. Feeney resigned as a member of Parliament on 1 February 2018 as he was unable to produce any documentary evidence disproving he was a dual citizen,which is a breach of section 44 of the Constitution of Australia.
Roko Tupou Takaiwai Senirewa Draunidalo is a Fijian lawyer and politician. She is a former member of the Parliament of Fiji and from 2018 to 2022 was the president of the HOPE party.
Rear Admiral Viliame Naupoto is a Fijian politician and former Fijian soldier. He is the current Minister for Immigration. He was a former Cabinet Minister under the FijiFirst government. After serving as Commander of the Republic of Fiji Navy,he was appointed as a Minister in the military regime of dictator Frank Bainimarama. He was later appointed commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces,before being elected to the Parliament of Fiji in December 2022.
Lt Col Pio Tikoduadua is a Fijian politician,cabinet minister and member of the Parliament of Fiji. He is the current president of the National Federation Party.
Jone Baledrokadroka is a Fijian academic and former soldier who served briefly as Republic of Fiji Military Forces Land Force Commander in January 2006. He was dismissed from the post after only four days after RFMF Commander Frank Bainimarama accused him of planning a mutiny. He is the son of former senator and Taukei ni Waluvu Ratu Alipate Baledrokadroka and the brother of Senator Adi Lagamu Vuiyasawa. He is also the uncle for New Zealand netballer Erikana Pedersen.
Howard Robin Thomas Politini Jnr (MP) is a Fijian politician and Member of the Parliament of Fiji. He is a member of the FijiFirst party.
Vijay Nath is a Fijian politician and Member of the Parliament of Fiji for the FijiFirst Party. He served as the Assistant Minister for Disaster Management and Rural and Maritime Development.
Inia Batikoto Seruiratu is a Fijian politician and member of the Parliament of Fiji for the FijiFirst party. He has been serving as the Opposition Leader since 29 March 2023. He served as the Minister for Rural,Maritime Development and Disaster Management from 2020 to 2022,and Minister for Defence,National Security and Policing from 2018 to 2022.
The Republic of Fiji Navy or Fijian Navy is the naval branch of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. Formerly known as the Royal Fijian Navy,it was established after Fiji ratified the recently created 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Convention established that maritime nations had an Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 kilometres,which extended Fiji's waters twentyfold,from 50,000 square miles (130,000 km2) to over 1,000,000 square miles (2,600,000 km2),necessitating a more substantial naval force to enforce Fijian jurisdiction and protect economic activity in the Fijian EEZ.
Jone Logavatu Kalouniwai is a major general in the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) who currently serves as the commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces since 16 September 2021. Previously named as director general of National Security and Intelligence,Ministry of Defence and National Security from May 2020 to September 2021,he also served as section commander in Lebanon and instructor at the RFMF Training School.
Ifereimi Vasu is a Fijian politician and Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA).
