Home > Ovini Bokini

Bokini was chosen to fill this position after his predecessor, Ratu Ganilau, had become embroiled in political controversy, calling for the resignation of the then- Vice President, Ratu Jope Seniloli (who has since been convicted of treason), and proposing the revival of the country's former ruling political party, the Fijian Alliance, as a multi-racial party, hinting that he would play a role in it. Many politicians feared that Ganilau was compromising the neutrality of the Council, and it is thought that government pressure played a role in the decision of the Cakaudrove Provincial Council to replace him as their representative with the less controversial Bokini.

The sentencing of Vice-President Seniloli to four years' imprisonment for treason on August 6 2004 created fears of a possible power vacuum should anything happen to the ailing 83-year old President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo. Constitutional experts, however, said that as Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs, Ratu Bokini could choose to assume the role of Vice-President in an interim capacity. Bokini has not as yet commented on this prospect.

Bokini was a member of the House of RepresentativesOverview 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 in the 1990sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s 2040s Years: Events and trends Computers, technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other techn, and also served in the CabinetFiji has the Westminster system executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: t, holding a variety of portfolios.