Wellington (AFP) - New Zealand's foreign minister on Wednesday congratulated Sitiveni Rabuka on emerging victorious from Fiji's election, giving the troubled vote a seal of approval even before 16-year leader Frank Bainimarama has conceded.
Rabuka, an ex-prime minister of Fiji, looks set to become the Pacific nation's next premier after securing the support of a minor party and enough seats for a parliamentary majority following a turbulent election.
In a Twitter post, New Zealand's foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta offered her "congratulations" on forming a coalition to lead the country.
New Zealand, she said, "looks forward to working together to continue strengthening our warm relationship" with Fiji.
But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern offered a more measured response than Mahuta, saying Wednesday that New Zealand would have to "wait" until the dust settles in the contentious poll.
Bainimarama -- who took power in a 2006 coup but has since won two democratic elections -- has not spoken in public since casting his vote last Wednesday.
Although he has previously vowed to respect the election result, Fiji has been upended by four coups in the past 35 years, so Fijians are awaiting Bainimarama's response nervously.
The 68-year-old has dominated Fiji's politics for close to two decades and his unseating was greeted with celebrations on the streets of Suva on Tuesday
While not an outright autocrat, his government has frequently used the legal system to sideline opponents, silence critics and muzzle the media.
Vote counting ended in deadlock Sunday with both frontrunners two seats short of a parliamentary majority.
The small Social Democratic Liberal Party became kingmaker Tuesday when its executive voted 16-14 in favour of joining Rabuka's broad coalition.
Speaking after Mahuta's Twitter posting, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern replied more cautiously when asked if she had congratulated Rabuka.
"Not at this stage, but it's not unusual for us to wait until the dust settles," Ardern told reporters.
"My understanding is there are a few extra things the (Fijian political) system will continue to go through.
"Let's allow the process to run its course," Ardern added with no date currently set for the first sitting of Fiji's new parliament.
"I have faith in Fiji's ability to conduct the remaining stages of this process and stand ready to acknowledge their new leader."
Rabuka himself led two coups in 1987 as head of the military and then became prime minister of Fiji before being ousted at the polls in 1999.
