Siromi Turaga
Siromi Turaga holds two of the most consequential levers of Fiji's 2026 election: Acting Attorney-General and the minister responsible for the vote itself.
Turaga
· The People's Alliance
Siromi Dokonivalu Turaga is a Fijian lawyer and politician, Minister for Justice and Acting Attorney-General in the coalition government of Sitiveni Rabuka, and a member of The People's Alliance. He has been a member of Parliament since 2022. A former resident magistrate, he is currently the minister responsible for Fiji's electoral process heading into the next general election.
Turaga is from Nairai, Lomaiviti. A lawyer by profession, he served as resident magistrate in the Sigatoka, Nadi, and Ba courts for 8 years. His judiciary contract was not renewed, ending in May 2020.
His candidacy for The People's Alliance was announced on 9 May 2022, exactly two years to the day after he left the judiciary. He was elected to Parliament with 2,860 votes (FEO official results, 2022 General Election). On 24 December 2022 he was appointed Attorney-General and Minister for Justice in the newly formed coalition government.
On 5 June 2024 he was stripped of the Attorney-General role over advice he gave on an MP pay rise motion, which Rabuka later admitted was wrong. He was replaced as Attorney-General by Graham Leung but retained the Justice portfolio. Leung was dismissed on 30 May 2025 following findings in the Commission of Inquiry into the appointment of FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali. The same Commission examined whether Turaga, as Attorney-General at the time, had influenced Malimali's appointment while cases involving some MPs were being filed with FICAC. Turaga was reappointed Acting Attorney-General on 4 June 2025, a position he continues to hold.
| Party | The People's Alliance |
| In Parliament Since | 2022 |
| 2022 Votes | 2,860 (FEO official results) |
| Current Role | Minister for Justice; Acting Attorney-General |
| Prior Role | Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dec 2022 to Jun 2024 |
| Career Background | Resident magistrate, Sigatoka, Nadi and Ba courts (8 years); private legal practice before entering politics |
| Current Portfolio Focus | Minister responsible for elections; constitutional review; justice sector reform; narcotics and organised crime prosecution capacity |
As Minister for Justice and Acting Attorney-General, Turaga oversees the Attorney-General's Chambers, the justice sector, and is the minister responsible for Fiji's electoral process. The earliest constitutional date for the Writ of Election was 24 June 2026; it passed without a writ being issued. Prime Minister Rabuka has since signalled polling is expected between late December 2026 and early February 2027, which would place the writ between 10 November and 24 December 2026 (Mai TV, June 2026). The constitutional deadlines are unchanged: the latest possible writ day is 24 December 2026, and the election must be held by 6 February 2027. A record ten political parties are now registered to contest.
On 15 June 2026, prior to the earliest writ date passing, Turaga confirmed the election remained on the constitutional timetable and rejected social media speculation that global fuel prices or international developments could delay the poll.
On 30 March 2026 he said constitutional change would be accomplished before the upcoming election, as part of the government's ongoing Constitutional Review Commission process.
On 26 May 2026 he told Parliament that foreign drug cartels operating in Fiji were deliberately targeting and bribing officers, describing Fiji as a transit hub for cartels using its ports and waters as a gateway to Australia and New Zealand. He pointed to a prosecution involving 4.5 tonnes of methamphetamine as evidence of enforcement progress. Opposition MP Alvick Maharaj said officers within the Narcotics Bureau were themselves being prosecuted for drug-related offences and corruption.
In March 2024, retired RFMF officer Mikaele Lewaicei filed a police complaint against Turaga, alleging he obtained financial benefit through deception, fraud, and uttering a false document while handling a 2022 divorce application for Lewaicei's wife, who is Turaga's cousin, while Turaga was in private legal practice. Lewaicei said he was never served legal documents, was overseas at the time, and found no record of any divorce application or decree when he searched the Suva and Nasinu registries in February 2024. Fiji Police confirmed the Criminal Investigations Department opened an investigation. Turaga publicly called the allegations "baseless and misleading" and disputed that Lewaicei was ever his client.
Separately, Fiji Sun reported in October 2024 that Turaga had "an active case" with FICAC, in coverage of the wider controversy surrounding the appointment of FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali.
FPR has found no published resolution of either the CID investigation or the FICAC matter referenced above. Both appear to remain open as of this profile's publication. Turaga has not been charged in connection with either matter.
Turaga holds two of the most consequential levers heading into Fiji's next election: he is Acting Attorney-General, the government's chief legal officer, and the minister responsible for the electoral process itself. Whether he is confirmed in the substantive Attorney-General role, or replaced again as Leung was, remains an open question.
The unresolved CID and FICAC matters sit alongside his current authority over both justice policy and election administration. Whether either matter is resolved, and how, before voters go to the polls (now expected between late December 2026 and early February 2027), is worth tracking closely.
⚠ FPR welcomes corrections: editor@fijipoliticalreview.com
