Fiji has new government after three Opposition parties form coalition

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Fiji will have a new leader for the first time in 16 years after a national election resulted in three parties joining up in a coalition to form government, dislodging Frank Bainimarama's Fiji First party.

The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) announced on Tuesday it had decided to form a coalition with Sitiveni Rabuka's People's Alliance and the National Federation Party.

The decision came after two days of deliberations and rival presentations by former Prime Minister Bainimarama and the People's Alliance party, after a national election last week resulted in a deadlock.

At a livestreamed news conference, Rabuka thanked the people of Fiji.

"They have voted for change and we have given them that," he said.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham, editing by Ed Osmond)