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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SUVA 000218 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR FJ
SUBJECT: FIJI'S NEW MULTI-PARTY CABINET: CONTINUITY AND 
SURPRISES 
 
REF: SUVA 214 (AND PREVIOUS) 
 
Classified By: Amb. Dinger.  Sec. 1.4 (B,D). 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1. (C)  Fiji Prime Minister Qarase has named his Cabinet of 
24 Ministers, plus 12 Ministers of State.  FLP leader 
Chaudhry plans to be Leader of the Opposition, but his party 
will take 9 portfolios under a multi-party cabinet provision 
of Fiji's Constitution.  A number of FLP leaders want to give 
power-sharing a good faith effort.  Foreign Minister Tavola 
retains his job, this time as a Senator, a welcome surprise. 
Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola also returns, which is bound 
to give Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) Commander 
Bainimarama continued heartburn.  See para 5 for a Cabinet 
listing with comments.  End Summary. 
 
Foreign and Home Affairs Ministers continue 
------------------------------------------- 
¶2. (U)  Following quickly from the SDL's narrow election 
victory last week (ref), Prime Minister Qarase has named 24 
Ministers in his Cabinet and 12 Ministers of State (who are 
not in Cabinet).  Several key posts are unchanged from the 
previous government.  In a pleasant surprise, Foreign 
Minister Tavola, who retired from elective politics, returns 
to his job as an appointee from the Fiji Senate.  He tells us 
he received the request yesterday and "put away his fishing 
pole for a bit."  Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola, who has 
clashed repeatedly in the past with RFMF Commander 
Bainimarama, returns as well.  Other senior returnees include 
Attorney General Bale and Minister of Finance Kubuabola.  A 
couple of previous ministers allegedly tied to the coup of 
2000 have been dropped, though another, Ratu Naigama, 
remains, this time as Minister for Fijian Affairs.  Another 
person reportedly involved in 2000, Adi Samanunu Cakobau 
(currently High Commissioner to Malaysia) apparently will 
take a Senate appointment and become Minister without 
Portfolio. 
 
Labor accepts Cabinet portfolios...in the end 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶3. (C)  The Fiji Labor Party (FLP) accepted Qarase's offer of 
9 seats in the multi-party Cabinet, after considerable 
deliberation.  FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry declined a 
portfolio, wishing to be Leader of the Opposition.  Whether 
it is allowable for him to take the opposition role when his 
party has accepted Cabinet posts is unclear under the 
Constitution and could be subject of a legal challenge.  We 
are told Chaudhry's inclination was for the FLP to reject 
Qarase's offer, even though the portfolios have important 
Labor-oriented responsibilities; however, a number of senior 
FLP leaders insisted that the party really must make a good 
faith attempt to work with Qarase for the future of Fiji.  If 
down the line things don't work out, so be it; but to decline 
the offer would offend a hopeful public.  Thus, Chaudhry 
offered a list of nominees with suggested portfolios.  When 
Qarase shifted some names around, Chaudhry had the FLP 
boycott the formal swearing in this morning, May 23; but 
shortly thereafter he announced FLP would accept the deal. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶4. (C)  Qarase named nearly half of Parliament plus three 
Senators as Ministers or Ministers of State.  The multi-party 
cabinet requirement of the Constitution, plus the debts 
Qarase owed all 14 Fijian provinces, required such numbers. 
Having the highly respected Tavola continue in Foreign 
Affairs will be welcomed throughout the region.  The 
reappointment of Vosanibola to Home Affairs appears a direct 
slap at Commodore Bainimarama.  We hear the Commodore takes 
some heart from the appointment of Jioji Konrote as Minister 
of State for Immigration and Ex-servicemen, under the Home 
Affairs portfolio, since Konrote is a former Chief of Staff 
of the RFMF and has dealt comfortably with Bainimarama in the 
past.  Still, Konrote is not in Cabinet, and the Vosanibola 
appointment suggests Qarase is not looking for compromise in 
his government's effort to resolve friction with the 
military. 
 
Fiji Cabinet list, with comments 
-------------------------------- 
¶5. (C)  Prime Minister and Minister for Sugar Reform: 
Laisenia Qarase.  (Qarase has kept the sugar portfolio, an 
important set of issues for Fiji and one in which he has 
taken a personal interest.) 
 
SUVA 00000218  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
Attorney General & Minister for Justice: Qoriniasi B. Bale. 
(Bale, the incumbent, is a capable and 
conservative-nationalist lawyer, who played a major role in 
drafting the Reconciliation Bill.  He has told us the revised 
bill to be submitted to Parliament soon will be much 
improved.  We reserve judgment.) 
 
Minister for Finance & National Planning: Ratu Jone Y. 
Kubuabola. (An incumbent.) 
 
Minister for Education, Youth & Sports: Ro Teimumu Kepa. (A 
female incumbent, and one of the three highest chiefs of 
Fiji.) 
 
Minister for Tourism & Transport: Tomasi Vuetilovoni. (Former 
Minister of Commerce.) 
 
Minister for Fijian Affairs, Lands & Provincial Development: 
Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu. (Former Minister of Transport, and 
one of the three highest chiefs of Fiji.  He was convicted 
and served a sentence for obstructing justice during the 
events of 2000.) 
 
Minister for Fisheries & Forests: Ilaitia Tuisese.  (Former 
Minister of Agriculture.) 
 
Minister for Home Affairs & Immigration: Josefa Vosanibola. 
(An incumbent, who has had a very rocky relationship with 
RFMF Commander Bainimarama.  See para. 4) 
 
Minister for Information & Communications: Isireli 
Leweniqila.  (Former Minister for Youth and Sport.) 
 
Minister for Public Enterprises & Public Sector Reform: 
Savenaca Draunidalo.  (Former Minister of Works and Energy; 
former RFMF Colonel; recently implicated in planning for the 
2000 coup.) 
 
Minster for Women, Social Welfare & Housing: George Shiu Raj. 
 (Former Minister for Multi-ethnic Affairs, and one of two 
ethnic-Indians who won SDL seats in 2006.) 
 
Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs & National Reconciliation & 
Unity: Ratu Meli Saukuru.  (A well-liked high chief from Nadi 
in Fiji's west, with excellent connections to the 
ethnic-Indian community there.) 
 
Minister for Public Utilities & Infrastructure Development: 
Robin Irwin.  (One of two independents to win seats in 2006; 
ethnic-British but has been a businessman in Fiji for many 
years.) 
 
Minister for Environment: Poseci Bune.  (Deputy head of the 
FLP, and Minister of Agriculture in the 1999 Chaudhry 
government; an ethnic-Fijian who is rumored to be the 
illegitimate son of the late Ratu Mara; Chaudhry proposed him 
for Minister of Agriculture, but Qarase made a switch.) 
 
Minister for Labour & Industrial Relations: Krishna Datt.  (A 
former school teacher, trade unionist, and long-time FLP 
leader, with good connections across party lines; Foreign 
Minister in 1987; served as a majority floor leader in 
Parliament in 1999.) 
 
Minister for Curative Health Services: Dr. Gunasagaran 
Gounder.  (A medical doctor; was FLP Assistant Minister for 
Health in 1999.) 
 
Minister for Agriculture: Gyani Nand.  (A former senior 
official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who won an FLP 
seat in 1999.) 
 
Minister for Energy & Mineral Resources: Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi. 
(An FLP stalwart from Fiji's west; speaks fluent Fijian; was 
Minister of Information in 1999.) 
 
Minister for Primary & Preventative Health Services: Udit 
Narayan.  (Won an FLP seat in 1999.) 
 
Minister for Local Government & Urban Development: Chaitanya 
Lakshman.  (A lawyer and FLP newcomer.) 
 
Minister for Employment Opportunities & Productivity: Ragho 
Nand.  (A school teacher.  Qarase named FLP unionist Felix 
Anthony for this portfolio, though Chaudhry had proposed 
 
SUVA 00000218  003 OF 003 
 
 
Anthony for Labor.  In the end Anthony declined cabinet, 
perhaps in part because his current position as General 
Secretary of the Fiji Trade Union Congress has better perks, 
 
SIPDIS 
which he can retain as an MP but not as a Minister.) 
 
Minister for Commerce & Industry: Sivia Tora.  (A new FLP 
member, who at one time served on the staff of Fiji's 
diplomatic mission in Australia.) 
 
Minister for Foreign Affairs & External Trade: Kaliopate 
Tavola.  (An incumbent who retired from politics this year, 
but Qarase plans to name him for the Senate and is bringing 
him back.) 
 
Minister without Portfolio: Adi Samanunu Talakuli Cakobau. 
(Currently Fiji High Commissioner in Malaysia and one of 
Fiji's highest chiefs; she is alleged to have supported the 
Speight coup of 2000.  This appointment via the Senate 
presumably settles a Fijian political debt.  We hear her 
cabinet responsibilities are still under consideration.) 
DINGER