In October 1987 Fiji officially left the Commonwealth and became a republic. The coup leader, then-Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka, appointed a civilian government headed by a president with a largely ceremonial role. The government was composed of a prime minister and cabinet of appointed members, almost all of whom were ethnic Fijians. Membership in the Senate was increased from 24 to 34, with 24 of the seats reserved for Fijians, nine for Indians and other races, and one for Rotumans. The constitution also stipulated that the prime minister must be a Fijian.
Local government reflects the plurality of Fiji's social structure.
There are elected multiracial councils in the larger towns, a separate Fijian administration incorporating a hierarchy of chiefs and councils for the control of rural Fijians, and direct administration elsewhere. Before the first of two coups in 1987, Fijian military forces had a largely ceremonial role, though they bore much of the burden of rebuilding and organizing after natural disasters and of civilian development projects. Military forces continued to perform these services after the coup, with the added role of agricultural distribution, together with their major preoccupation with the enforcement of internal security policies. While the government provides some primary and secondary education, most schools are controlled through local committees run by and for a single racial or religious community. Entry to secondary schools is by competitive examination.