IB2016/14 Fiji's New Parliament and Democracy

Parliaments play a crucial role in enhancing democracy, especially in countries that are transitioning from an authoritarian regime to a democratic system. Parliaments are perhaps more important for these countries because they have the potential to pioneer and embrace political change towards democracy (Ziegenhain 2008). In Fiji, the 2014 election and the subsequent return of the parliament were hailed as a positive step towards the restoration of democracy. More importantly, simply by returning, Fiji’s parliament vindicated itself as a resilient institution that has the potential to survive against the odds (Kumar 2012). However, the re-emergence of the parliament has provided evidence both for and against the view that Fiji is on the road back to democracy. This In Brief explicates the two positions by assessing a few key developments in Fiji’s new parliament.