titution:
promulgated on 25 July 1990; amended on 25 July 1997 to allow
nonethnic Fijians greater say in government and to make multiparty
government mandatory; effective 28 July 1998

Legal system:
based on British system

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda (since 18
July 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10
September 2000)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the
members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament; note - there
is also a Presidential Council that advises the president on matters
of national importance and a Great Council of Chiefs, which consists
of the highest ranking members of the traditional chief system
elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a
five-year term; prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda elected president
by the Great Council of Chiefs; percent of vote - NA%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (34 seats; 24 appointed
by the President on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, nine
appointed by the president, and one appointed by the council of
Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for
ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, three reserved for
other ethnic groups, one reserved for the council of Rotuma
constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 25 August through 1
September and 19 September 2001 (next to be held not later than
September 2006)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - FLP 26.5%, SDL 27.5%, NFP 1.2%, MV 4.2%, NLUP 1.3%, UGP .3%,
independents 1.4%; seats by party - FLP 27, SDL 32, MV 6, NFP 1,
NLUP 2, UGP 1, independents 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of
Appeal; High Court; Magistrates' Courts

Political parties and leaders:
Bai Kei Viti Party or BKV [Ratu Tevita MOMOEDONU]; Conservative
Alliance Party/Matanitu Vanua or MV [Ratu Rakuita VAKALALABURE];
Dodonu Ni Taukei Party or DNT [Fereti S. DEWA]; Fiji Democratic
Party or FDP [Felipe BOLE] (a merger of the Christian Democrat
Alliance or VLV [Poesci Waqalevu BUNE], Fijian Associat