Parliament elects Konrote as new Fijian President

Former senior military officer and former Minister for Employment, Major General Jioji Konrote has been elected as President of the Republic of Fiji.

Konrote will be sworn-in as President by the Chief Justice Anthony Gates early next month.

Outgoing President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau is expected to complete his term in office on November 12th. 

In the first ever presidential election held in parliament earlier today, Konrote got 31 votes while Ratu Epeli Ganilau received 14 votes after a secret ballot.

The three National Federation Party parliamentarians abstained from voting.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama nominated Konrote while Opposition Leader, Ro Teimumu Kepa nominated Ratu Epeli Ganilau.

Opposition MP, Semesa Karavaki objected to Bainimarama’s nominee, saying that Konrote is still a member of the Fiji First and this disqualifies him from being a nominee for the President’s post.

Speaker, Doctor Jiko Luveni then revealed that she has already received written communication from the Fiji First.

Opposition MP, Niko Nawaikula then started pushing for the background of the nominees to be highlighted in parliament.

Major General Konrote attended Draiba Primary, Nabua Primary and then Motusa Primary school.

He later attended Malha’a Secondary and Natabua High.

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.

He was Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs and Immigration from February 2000 to March 2002.

He served as Fiji’s High Commissioner to Australia from 2002 to March 2006.

Konrote was elected member of parliament after the 2006 elections after contesting the election as an independent candidate.

He was then appointed Minister for State for Immigration in the Qarase led government.  

Jioje Konrote Curriculum Vitae

Brief Summary of Major General Jioje Konrote's Curriculum Vitae