The deregistration of FijiFirst marks a dismal conclusion to the political careers of its founders, Voreqe Bainimarama and Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. Former permanent secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Jioji Kotobalavu, has highlighted the significant and far-reaching consequences of this development.
Bainimarama’s political journey began with the coup he led as military commander in December 2006, which overthrew the democratically-elected government of then prime minister, the late Laisenia Qarase. Kotobalavu noted that FijiFirst initially thrived in the 2014 General Election, securing 59 percent of the votes and 32 seats in Parliament. This success restored the country to a democratically-elected government with Bainimarama as prime minister and Sayed-Khaiyum holding multiple key ministerial roles, including attorney-general and minister of finance and national economy.
However, the party’s fortunes have since declined steadily. In the 2018 General Election, it managed to win only 50.02 percent of the votes and 27 seats, and in the 2022 General Election, it further dropped to 42.55 percent of the votes and 26 seats. Additionally, it was publicly revealed that FijiFirst had significant unpaid debts to its creditors, and former prime minister Bainimarama was imprisoned for abuse of public authority.
As a result, both founders have resigned from the party and Parliament, leaving the remaining 24 Members of Parliament to serve as independent members. Kotobalavu speculates that it is unlikely any former FijiFirst MPs will attempt to reconstitute the party due to the substantial debt burden.
The only enduring legacy left by the two founders is the 2013 Constitution they imposed on Fiji. However, Kotobalavu pointed out that this document would also not stand unchanged, as it requires amendments to become a more effective instrument of good governance.