Fiji cabinet installed

Transcript

The new government of Fiji's Frank Bainimarama will be led by a 20 member cabinet.

The members were sworn in at a ceremony in Suva on Wednesday.

Sally Round was there and filed this report:

AIYAZ SAYED-KHAIYUM: I, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, being appointed as minister do solemnly and sincerely and truly declare...

The Prime Minister's right hand man under the old regime, has handed over his Attorney General role to Nadi lawyer, Faiyaz Koya, the son of a former National Federation Party politician. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum takes on the all-important finance portfolio. Lawyers, former senior civil servants and administrators are in the line-up of 14 ministers and five assistant ministers. Notable inclusions are former Commerce Commission chair Mahendra Reddy as Education Minister and Rotuman Jioji  Konrote as Industrial Relations and Employment Minister. He has had an illustrious career in the military. His senior role in the government of former Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase abruptly ended in the 2006 coup.

MAHENDRA REDDY: I joined the FijiFirst party because I believe in the vision and the type of outcomes of the people's charter and the constituion. I want to help in moving this country forward.

Lorna Eden has spent 32 years in the hotel and airline industry and is the Assistant Minister of Tourism.

LORNA EDEN: I've always been a very strong supporter of this previous government which is why I entered FijiFirst and I think that their policies that are in place now are very good. We need to continue with them and may be improve on them and hopefully fulfill the many promises we've made in our manifesto.

Seven in the cabinet are ex-military. Fiji's military commander Brigadier general Mosese Tikoitoga was there to watch proceedings.

MOSESE TIKOITOGA: That shows the confidence of the Fijian people to work with the military offices and they have done quite a good job in the last eight years and they deserve to be recognised for it. And the Fijian people have recognised them and acknowledged them for it and elected them in and we're very proud as an institution.

The gold medal winning paralympian high jumper Iliesa Delana is Assistant Minister for Youth and Sport. He plans to continue his sports career.

ILIESA DELENA: I thank the Almighty. We've just had our swearing in today. Maybe tomorrow or the next few days we'll have a seat and plan what to do in the upcoming days. It'll be a busy four years and many major sporting events will take place.

Before the first sitting of parliament, the Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama confirmed the former Minister of Women Jiko Luveni would be the Speaker of the House. The first sitting is expected on the 6th October.