Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has announced that Ratu Wiliame Katonivere will be the nominee for Fiji’s Presidency. According to the Prime Minister, the election for the President is set to occur during a special session of Parliament at the end of October.
Rabuka explained that there had been discomfort with some candidates for the presidency, which led him to withdraw his own nominee for the election on Thursday. He noted that the Speaker, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, had urged him to resolve any doubts before proceeding with a nomination, specifically concerning allegations linked to the current President.
The Prime Minister confirmed that the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) has closed the files related to the complaints against the President. He indicated that a preliminary investigation involving the Financial Intelligence Unit had found sufficient evidence to disprove the allegations against Ratu Wiliame, and FICAC had verified the declared Assets and Liabilities in their report. Rabuka concluded that, based on the inquiry’s results, there is no evidence to substantiate the complaints, and the files have been officially closed.