Fiji appoints Ratu Epeli Nailatikau as Vice President

Updated April 17, 2009 15:52:14

Fiji's interim Government swore in Ratu Epeli Nailatikau as Vice President on Friday. Ratu Epeli is a Fijian chief and politician and is the first vice-president appointed by the military administration since the sacking of Ratu Jone Madraiwiwi immediately after the 2006 coup. Brigadier-General Nailatikau spent 20 years in the military and 17 years in the diplomatic service. He was sacked as Commander of the military forces by Sitiveni Rabuka during the first of the 1987 coups.


Presenter Geraldine Coutts

Speaker: Fiji Interim attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum

AIYAZ SAYED KHAIYUM, INTERIM ATTORNEY-GENERAL: The President actually put in place a decree whereby the office of the vice-President was created. This morning he's appointed a vice-president in the form of Ratu Epeli Nailatikau.

GERALDINE COUTTS: OK, so for people who are unaware, can you tell us a little bit about who Ratu Nailatikau is?

AIYAZ SAYED KHAIYUM: RATU NAILATIKAU: was at the time of the first coup in Fiji in 1987, he was then the commander of the Fiji military forces. And, as you know, the third-ranking officer below him, Rabuka, was the one who carried out the coup. Subsequently Ratu Epeli Nailatikau has served as Fiji's high commissioner, in particular to the UK. Also he was the ADC to former Governor-General of Fiji. He has also been the speaker of the House of Parliament, in the last Parliament he was speaker of the house. He is also a chief in his own right and he's been a minister in the interim Government.

GERALDINE COUTTS: Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, was he selected from a field or number in the field that you were considering or the President was considering?

AIYAZ SAYED KHAIYUM: The President's office did the appointment, the President himself, so I'm not privy to that information but it's the President who appoints the vice-president at his own discretion.

GERALDINE COUTTS: What will be the duties of Ratu Epeli Nailatikau from this point forward?

AIYAZ SAYED KHAIYUM: As you know, we've had a vice-president previously. Obviously sometimes the President may not be available so he'll fill in the President's role. What is also of interest is in the creating of the vice-president's office the President has also decreed that should he be not able to perform his function the vice-President will. In the event that the vice-President cannot then the Chief Justice will fill in that role.

GERALDINE COUTTS: Is the chief justice Anthony Gates at the moment?

AIYAZ SAYED KHAIYUM: No, there is no chief justice. As you know the judicial services decree has just been put in place by his Excellency our President. And there'll be judicial appointments made under the decree.

GERALDINE COUTTS: So that's official now, Ratu Josefa Iloilo has signed off on the judicial decree?

AIYAZ SAYED KHAIYUM: It has been gazetted.

GERALDINE COUTTS: So when do you think the appointments in the judiciary will be made?

AIYAZ SAYED KHAIYUM: Well, they'll be made obviously in the next few days or so various people will be appointed by the President's office.

GERALDINE COUTTS: Back to the appointment of the vice-President. Certainly Ratu Jone Madraiwiwi was the last to hold that office. Why has it taken so long for the interim Government to appoint a VP?

AIYAZ SAYED KHAIYUM: Well, as you know, the constitution's been abrogated so we've essentially starting on a clean slate and this office has been created under a decree and an appointment has been made almost immediately.

GERALDINE COUTTS: Under this administration should the President Ratu Josefa Iloilo decide to retire, is it an automatic up the chain move? Would Commander Bainimarama become the President and then would Ratu Epeli Nailatikau become the Prime Minister?

AIYAZ SAYED KHAIYUM: No, no, nothing of that sort. If the President retires, then the Vice-President becomes the President. It's got nothing to do with the Prime Minister.