Rabuka confirmed as Fiji prime minister after close election

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Sitiveni Rabuka has been confirmed as Fiji’s next prime minister more than two decades after the former military commander first held the office in a term lasting nearly seven years. After a close and contentious election, the 74-year-old won the nomination on Saturday by one vote over incumbent Frank Bainimarama at a sitting of the Fijian Parliament in Suva. Rabuka, the head of the People’s Alliance Party, was elevated to the position after forming a majority coalition with two other parties after last week’s election. There have been four military coups in Fiji over the past 35 years, and both Rabuka and Bainimarama have held lead roles in previous moves to oust former Fijian leaders.