Cabinet Ministers appointed at Government House

15 Ministers and 5 Assistant Ministers will be part of the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama led cabinet.

Prime Minister Bainimarama is also the Minister for i-Taukei Affairs and Sugar.

Former Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyumis now the Minister for Finance, Public Enterprises, Public Service, Trade and Tourism.

Faiyaz Koya is the new Attorney General and Minister for Justice.

Former Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office Pio Tikoduadua is the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport while Parveen Kumar Bala is the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Environment.

Jone Usamate is the new Minister for Health and Medical Services, Doctor Mahendra Reddy is the Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts while Rosy Sofia Akbar is the new Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation.

Former Permanent Secretary for Justice Mereseini Vuniwaqa is the new Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Osea Naiqamu is the Minister for Fisheries and Forests, Inia Seruiratu is the Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola is the Minister for Foreign Affairs while Timoci Natuva is Minister for Immigration, National Security and Defense.

Jioji Konrote is the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations while Laisenia Bale Tuitubou is the Minister for Youth and Sports.

Lorna Eden is the Assistant Minister of Finance, Public Enterprises, Public Service, Trade and Tourism, Joeli Cawaki is the Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management, Veena Kumar Bhatnagar is Assistant for Minister of Health, Vijay Nath is the Assistant Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts while Iliesa Delana is the Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports.

The swearing-in ceremony of the cabinet ministers has just ended at Government House.

Dr Jiko Luveni likely to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives

Fiji is highly likely to have its first ever female Speaker of the House of Representatives as FijiFirst Member of Parliament Doctor Jiko Luveni has vacated her seat in parliament.

The Electoral Commission has now declared FijiFirst candidate Laisenia Tuitubou to replace Doctor Luveni as an elected Member of Parliament.

The logical explanation for this is that Doctor Jiko Luveni has vacated her seat as she will be the next Speaker of Parliament.

Dr Jiko Luveni was the Minister for Women, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation in the Bainimarama led government.

She is also the President of the FijiFirst Party.

Any nomination for Speaker by the FijiFirst Party will definitely go through as they have 32 votes while the opposition only has 18 votes.