WELLINGTON, Dec 18 — Elections in the Pacific Island state of Fiji ended in a deadlock on Sunday, with no party with a clear majority, the German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
The elections, held on Wednesday, saw two leaders of separate former military coups vying for the prime ministership.
Incumbent Frank Voreqe Bainimarama, who leads the FijiFirst Party, is facing former prime minister and opposition leader Sitiveni Rabuka, who was responsible for two coups in the 1980s.
On Sunday, final results revealed FijiFirst and a coalition between Rabuka’s People’s Alliance Party and the National Federation Party both finished with 26 seats each.
A party can form a government if they take 28 or more seats.
The power now lies with the Social Democratic Liberal Party, led by Viliame Gavoka, who took three seats.
General secretary of the party Lenaitasi Duru told The Fiji Times its lawmakers were “watching and waiting” for what was on offer.
“Then, we will make the decision based on what’s best for the nation,” he said.
Bainimarama has led Fiji since he seized power in a military coup in 2006. He allowed a general election after eight years in power and won with a landslide victory in 2014.
More than 90 observers from 16 countries oversaw the recent election, the third democratic election since 2006, with more than 1,000 police were deployed to maintain security.
— Bernama
