Fiji’s Parliament elected incumbent Speaker Naiqama Lalabalavu as president after incumbent President Wiliame Katonivere withdrew from the contest, according to the supplied RNZ report. The vote marks a notable transfer at the top of the state’s constitutional hierarchy, with the parliamentary chamber choosing a new head of state.
The report identifies Lalabalavu as the sitting speaker of parliament at the time of his election and says he had been nominated by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. It also says he won 37 out of 55 votes. That margin shows that the nomination translated into a clear parliamentary majority, even as the report notes opposition from women’s rights groups.
The source describes Lalabalavu as a high chief of the Cakaudrove confederacy, the same province as Rabuka. That background helps explain the political and social context of his elevation, although the article does not go beyond the facts provided to speculate about how it influenced the vote.
The women’s rights criticism is part of the public record in the report. Shamima Ali of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre said Lalabalavu was not fit to be president and cited his previous suspension from parliament for derogatory comments about the late Speaker Dr. Jiko Luveni. The excerpt also says human rights campaigners had recently criticized him for remarks they called racially charged and evil. Those objections are relevant because they show that the election was not universally welcomed.
At the same time, the parliamentary result is clear. Lalabalavu secured enough votes to become president, and the withdrawal of Katonivere altered the field before the final decision. The report does not explain why the incumbent withdrew, nor does it describe any formal runoff or extended ballot process. It simply states that Lalabalavu was elected.
In Fiji’s political system, the presidency carries constitutional importance even when day-to-day executive power sits elsewhere. That is why the election of a new president is more than ceremonial bookkeeping. It also gives the public an early sign of how parliament and the governing coalition are aligning around senior institutional posts.
The supplied report does not include any immediate policy statement from Lalabalavu after his election. It does not say when he would be sworn in or what his priorities would be as president. But it does establish the main facts: after Katonivere withdrew, parliament elected Naiqama Lalabalavu with 37 of 55 votes, despite criticism from women’s rights and human rights advocates.
The result also reflects the broader tension that surrounded the nomination. Lalabalavu’s election may settle the immediate constitutional question, but the criticism from rights groups means the political argument around his suitability is not likely to vanish quickly. The report leaves the rest to the coming days, once the formal transition to office is carried out.
