House of Representatives (Fiji)
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Overview
The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fiji's Parliament. It is the more powerful of the two chambers; it alone has the power to initiate legislation (the Senate, by contrast, can amend or veto most legislation, but cannot initiate it). The House of Representatives also has much greater jurisdiction over financial bills; the Senate cannot amend them, although it may veto them. Except in the case of amendments to the Constitution, over which a veto of the Senate is absolute, the House of Representatives may override a Senatorial veto by passing the same bill a second time, in the parliamentary session immediately following the one in which it was rejected by the Senate, after a minimum period of six months.
Last but not least, the Prime Minister and Cabinet must retain the confidence of a majority of the House of Representatives in order to remain in office.
The House of Representatives has 71 members, all of whom are elected for five-year terms to represent single-member constituencies. Of these, 25 are elected by universal suffrage from "open electorates" ("open" meaning that the franchise is open to all locally resident Fijian citizens, irrespective of their ethnic background). The remaining 46 are elected on separate communal rolls for the ethnic Fijian, Indo-Fijian, and Rotuman communities, with a fourth roll for "General Electors" (Europeans, Chinese, and other minorities). 23 communal seats in the House of Representatives are reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 for Indo-Fijians, 1 for Rotuman Islanders, and 3 for "General Electors". Every Fijian citizen eligible to vote thus has two votes - one for an open electorate, and one for a communal electorate.
At its first session following a general election, the House of Representatives elects a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker. With a view to ensuring impartiality, the Speaker is not allowed to be a member of the House, though he must qualify for membership. The Deputy Speaker, however, is elected from among members of the House.
The current composition of the House of Representatives, together with its officers, is as follows:
Speaker and Deputy Speaker
| Office | Incumbent |
| Speaker | Ratu Epeli Nailatikau† |
| Deputy Speaker | Manasa Tugia‡ |
†The Speaker is not allowed to be a member of the House.
‡The Deputy Speaker is required to be a member of the House. The current Deputy Speaker, Manasa Tugia, represents the Cakaudrove West Open constituency for the Conservative Alliance Party.
Open Electorates
Communal Electorates (Fijian)
[1] Declared elected unopposed on 22 June 2005, to fill vacancy caused by imprisonment of Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure, also Conservative Alliance.
[2] Elected in byelection on 11 December 2004, to fill vacancy caused by death of Filimone Banuve, also United Fiji Party.
Communal Electorates (Indo-Fijian)
Communal Electorate (Rotuman)
| Electorate | Member of Parliament | Political Party |
| Rotuma | Marieta Rigamoto | Independent |
Communal Electorates (General Electors)
| Electorate | Member of Parliament | Political Party |
| North Eastern | David Ariu Christopher | United Fiji Party |
| Suva City | Kenneth Vincent Zinck | New Labour Unity Party |
| West Central | Millis Malcolm Beddoes | United General Party |
External Links
- Official Website of the Parliament of Fiji (http://www.parliament.gov.fj)
- House of Representatives (http://www.parliament.gov.fj/parliament/mp/hr.aspx)