Frank Bainimarama
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The Right Honourable Rear Admiral (Retired) Ratu Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama MP |
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| Prime Minister of Fiji | |
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Assumed office 5 January 2007 Acting: 5 January 2007 – 22 September 2014 |
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| President |
Josefa Iloilo Epeli Nailatikau George Konrote |
| Preceded by | Jona Senilagakali |
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President of Fiji Acting |
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In office 5 December 2006 – 4 January 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Jona Senilagakali |
| Preceded by | Josefa Iloilo |
| Succeeded by | Josefa Iloilo |
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In office 29 May 2000 – 13 July 2000 |
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| Prime Minister | Laisenia Qarase |
| Preceded by | Kamisese Mara |
| Succeeded by | Josefa Iloilo |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
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Assumed office 9 September 2016 |
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| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Inoke Kubuabola |
| Minister for Immigration, National Security and Defence Acting |
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In office 31 August 2016 – 9 September 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Timoci Natuva |
| Succeeded by | Inoke Kubuabola |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama 27 April 1954 Kiuva, Fiji |
| Political party | Fiji First Party |
| Spouse(s) | Maria Makitalena |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Dalhousie University |
| Religion | Methodism |
| Website | Official website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Fiji
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| Service/branch | Fijian Navy |
| Years of service | 1975–2014 |
| Rank | Commodore |
Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu (born 27 April 1954), is a Fijian naval officer who has been Prime Minister of Fiji since 2007. He was the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces from 1999 to 2014. While holding the office of Prime Minister, he has temporarily held various ministerial portfolios: Information, Home Affairs, Immigration, Public Service, Indigenous and Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Finance, and Foreign Affairs.
On 22 September 2014, he was sworn-in as the Prime Minister of Fiji by President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau after his Fiji First Party won the general elections.
Bainimarama has taken power twice in Fiji's history, the first time as Head of the Interim Military Government of Fiji from 29 May to 13 July 2000, after organising a counter-coup to neutralise the ethnic Fijian putsch led by George Speight. He handed power over to the newly appointed President Ratu Josefa Iloilo. He was instrumental in the rise to power of the government of the Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, but his intense criticism of the government's policy of showing leniency towards persons implicated in the coup later strained his relations with the regime, and on 5 December 2006, he overthrew the Qarase government and announced that he had "reluctantly" assumed the powers of the presidency. He restored Ratu Josefa Iloilo to the Presidency on 4 January 2007, and was formally appointed Interim Prime Minister by Iloilo the next day. The appointment was declared lawful by the Supreme Court of Fiji in October 2008. Bainimarama stepped down on 10 April 2009 as interim prime minister, after the country's court of appeal ruled the removal of the democratic government during his 2006 military coup was unlawful. President Ratu Josefa Iloilo then announced that he had abolished the constitution, assumed all governing power and revoked all judicial appointments. He reappointed Bainimarama as prime minister. The media has dubbed Fiji a "Bainimarama republic", a play on banana republic.
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