Polls open in coup-plagued Fiji

Polls opened on Wednesday in Fiji as the Pacific Island nation held its second general election since a military coup toppled the government in 2006.

Half a million people are expected to cast their votes as two leaders of separate military coups vie for the premiership in the popular tourist destination.

The incumbent, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, has remained in power since his bloodless takeover 12 years ago. He allowed a general election in 2014 and won reelection in a landslide victory.

The 64-year-old leader of the FijiFirst Party has promised stability in a country that has seen four coups take place over the space of two decades. He was initially branded a dictator by regional powers such as Australia and New Zealand, but has earned greater international acceptance since the 2014 election.

Read more: International observers endorse 'credible' Fiji election

The main challenger for Bainimarama, who chaired the UN's COP23 Climate Change Conference in Bonn last year, is opposition leader Sitiveni Rabuka of the SODELPA Party. Rabuka led two military coups in the 1980s and was deemed eligible to run on Monday, despite having faced corruption charges.

More than 2,000 police officers have been deployed to maintain security for the elections. Fijians will have to choose 51 parliamentarians out of 235 candidates.

dv/rc (AFP, dpa)

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