Jioji Konrote sworn-in as President

Retired Major General Jioji Konrote has been sworn-in as Fiji’s new President.

Konrote was sworn-in as President by Chief Justice Anthony Gates at Government House in the presence of the First Lady Sarote Konrote, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, his wife Mary Bainimarama, Speaker of Parliament Doctor Jiko Luveni, government ministers, the diplomatic community, religious leaders and other invited guests.

Major General Konrote attended Natabua High School.

He enlisted into the RFMF in 1966 and trained with New Zealand and Australian defence forces, studying at institutions such as the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies and the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra, where he became a fellow in 1996, and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2000.

Rising through the ranks of the Fiji Military, he commanded battalions of Fijian soldiers in their peacekeeping efforts in Lebanon during Fiji’s UNIFIL campaign, and was subsequently appointed Deputy Force Commander of the UNIFIL operation, and finally the United Nations Assistant Secretary General and Force Commander in Lebanon.

In recognition of his contributions in these fields, Major General Konrote was awarded with the UNIFIL Peace Medal in 1978, the Military Cross UK in 1982, the Order of Merit Italy in 1997 and was made an Officer of the Order of Fiji (Military Division) in 1997.

From 2001 to 2006, Konrote served as Fiji's High Commissioner to Australia.

He also served in the Qarase led government in 2006 after winning his seat as an independent.

He won a parliamentary seat for the FijiFirst after last year’s general elections and was appointed Minister for Employment.

Konrote is the first Fijian President to be elected by parliament under the constitution.

Previous Presidents were chosen by the Great Council of Chiefs.