Leader of the Opposition (Fiji)

Leader of the Opposition of the Republic of Fiji
Coat of arms of the Republic of Fiji
Incumbent Inia Seruiratu since 29 March 2023
Term length	While leader of the largest political party in Parliament that is not in government
Inaugural holder	Sidiq Koya
Formation	10 October 1970

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 is, by convention, the leader of the largest political party in the Parliament of Fiji that is not in government. This is 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.

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. Inia Seruiratu of the FijiFirst party (independent since 2024) has been serving as the leader of the opposition since 29 March 2023.

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)

Portrait	Leader	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party		Election	Prime minister(s)
	Sidiq Koya (1924–1993)	1970	1977	6–7 years		NFP	1972 1977 (Mar)	Mara
	Jai Ram Reddy (1937–2022)	1977	1984	6–7 years		NFP	1977 (Sep) 1982	Mara
	Sidiq Koya (1924–1993)	1984	1987	2–3 years		NFP	—	Mara
	Harish Sharma (born 1932)	1987	1987	0 years		NFP	—	Mara
	Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara (1920–2004)	13 April 1987	14 May 1987	31 days		Alliance	1987	Bavadra
Vacant (14 May 1987 – 3 April 1992)
	Jai Ram Reddy (1937–2022)	3 April 1992	28 August 1999	7 years, 147 days		NFP	1992 1994	Rabuka
	Ratu Inoke Kubuabola (born 1948)	28 August 1999	3 October 2000	1 year, 36 days		SVT	1999	Chaudhry Momoedonu
Vacant (3 October 2000 – 3 July 2001)
	Prem Singh	3 July 2001	17 April 2002	288 days		NFP	2001	Qarase
	Mick Beddoes	17 April 2002	21 November 2004	2 years, 218 days		UPP	—	Qarase
	Mahendra Chaudhry (born 1942)	21 November 2004	3 June 2006	1 year, 194 days		Labour	—	Qarase
	Mick Beddoes	3 June 2006	5 December 2006	185 days		UPP	2006	Qarase
Vacant (5 December 2006 – 6 October 2014)
	Ro Teimumu Kepa (born 1945)	6 October 2014	20 November 2018	4 years, 45 days		SODELPA	2014	Bainimarama
	Major general (Rtd) Sitiveni Rabuka (born 1948)	26 November 2018	7 December 2020	2 years, 11 days		SODELPA	2018	Bainimarama
	Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu (born 1953)	8 December 2020	24 December 2022	2 years, 16 days		SODELPA	—	Bainimarama
	Rear admiral (Rtd) Frank Bainimarama (born 1954)	24 December 2022	8 March 2023	74 days		FijiFirst	2022	Rabuka
	Inia Seruiratu	29 March 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 221 days		Independent (FijiFirst 2023–24)	—	Rabuka

Timeline

See also

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