Following the decisions taken by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on 31 July 2009, Fiji was suspended from membership of the Commonwealth on 1 September 2009 KEY FACTS Joined Commonwealth: 1970 (rejoined in 1997 after ten-year lapse) Population: 868,000 (2011) GNI p.c.: US$3,720 (2011) UN HDI 2011: world ranking 100 Geography Area: 18,333 sq km Coastline: 1,130 km Capital: Suva The Republic of Fiji lies 1,850 km north of Auckland, New Zealand, and 2,800 km north-east of Sydney, Australia. It consists of about 300 islands (100 inhabited) and 540 islets, spread over 3 million sq km. It is surrounded by the island groups of (clockwise from north) Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna, Tonga, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. The largest islands are Viti Levu (‘Great Fiji’), Vanua Levu, Taveuni and Kadavu. Constitution Status: Republic Legislature: Parliament of Fiji Independence: 10 October 1970 Fiji’s constitution has always reflected the multiracial nature of its society. It provides for a parliamentary democracy with a bicameral parliament comprising an elected House of Representatives and appointed Senate. Some seats in the House of Representatives are reserved for ethnic Fijians, some for Indo-Fijians and some for other ethnic groups. Following the 1987 coups, Fiji became a republic, with a President appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs (Bose Levu Vakaturaga, a body comprising the heads of the ethnic Fijian clans), for a five-year term as Head of State. The President appoints as Prime Minister the member of the House of Representatives who commands the support of the majority, normally the leader of the largest party or coalition. The Prime Minister then forms a government which has executive authority. Constitutional amendments require a 75 per cent majority in both houses. Under the 1997 constitution, the number of seats in the House of Representatives was increased to 71, 25 of which were opened to all ethnic groups (elected by universal suffrage), while the remainder were to be elected by separate communal electoral rolls in the following proportions: ethnic Fijians 23; Indo-Fijians 19; other ethnic groups three; and Rotuman Islanders one. The Senate has 32 members, 14 appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs, nine by the Prime Minister, eight by the leader of the opposition and one by the Council of Rotuma. The Prime Ministership, but not the presidency, was opened to all Fijians. In addition, the first-past-the-post electoral system was replaced by an alternative preference system and voting became mandatory. Parties taking more than 10 per cent of the votes in a general election have the right to a Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 161 Fiji
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