Leader of the Opposition (Fiji)
The post of Leader of the Opposition is a political office common in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. It did not originate in Fiji but has a long tradition; in British constitutional theory, the Leader of the Opposition must pose a formal alternative to the government, ready to form a government himself should the Prime Minister lose the confidence of the House of Representatives. In addition, the Leader of the Opposition chooses 8 of the 32 members of the Senate, Fiji's upper house of Parliament.In Fiji, the Leader of the Opposition is formally appointed by the President. The appointment is not at the president's personal discretion, however, as he is required by the Constitution to appoint the person most acceptable to the majority of the Opposition (defined as members of the House of Representatives who belong to political parties not represented in the Cabinet). In theory, that means the parliamentary leader of the largest Opposition party. In practice, the person most eligible may decline the office, as is the case at present. Since 2001, Mahendra Chaudhry, whose Labour Party holds 28 of the 30 Opposition seats in the House of Representatives, has adamantly refused to accept the position of Leader of the Opposition, insisting that he and his party want representation in the Cabinet instead. This has forced the President to appoint Millis Beddoes, the sole parliamentary representative of the United General Party, as Leader of the Opposition.
List of Leaders of the Opposition in Fiji
Note: The office of Leader of the Opposition was vacant from 1987 to 1992, and from 2000 to 2001.