 He is the first non-iTaukei president and the first Seventh-day Adventist to be elected by parliament, as previous presidents were selected by the Great Council of Chiefs.Konrote is a native of the island of Rotuma.His days as a pupil at Natabua High School in Lautoka, Fiji, are described in the prize-winning book on Fiji "Kava in the Blood" by Peter Thomson.