Page 35 - IB OCT 2017

Opinion Cartoon View from the sidelines: Advertorial Inoke Ligairi, your
P36
evergreen Mr Fiji P37

would go to his village and never return.
Indeed, that is what happened to Fiji’s
founding father and greatest Prime
Minister. What a humiliating way in
which to end his service to the country.
Frank Bainimarama assumed the
position of President, abrogated the
1997 Constitution, appointed an interim
government led by Laisenia Qarase, but
then did nothing decisive to influence
the release of the hostages in Parlia-
ment.
It was the Council of Chiefs or Bose
Levu Vakaturaga that sent for repre-
sentatives of the hostage holders to
attend its meeting and after hearing
their reasons, directed them to release Ratu Kamisese. left, and Ratu
the hostages in return for a promise Josefa’s, right, terms in office
that their concerns were to be seriously were overshadowed by the
military.
considered by an elected government. A
friend who attended that BLV meeting to allow them to rule Fiji for 20 years. power for eight years. Bainimarama, on
told me that the RFMF proposed at the Elements in the RFMF believed that the advice of his Attorney General Aiyaz
meeting that Mara be replaced by Vuda their training equipped them to run the Khaiyum, in April 2009 for the second
chief Ratu Josefa Iloilo. It was coldly system of government in Fiji better than time abrogated the 1997 Constitution.
received and nobody congratulated querulous elected politicians. President This was in response to the Court of
Iloilo. Only some of his relatives from Joji Konrote was a member of the RFMF Appeal ruling that President Iloilo had
Cakaudrove went to shake his hand after team that proposed this in 1988. After no legal power to dismiss the elected
the meeting. the Election of the SDL Government in Government. And then five years later,
The RFMF party was made to feel very 2001, the Commander Bainimarama the RFMF-backed regime decreed a new
very awkward because their new can- began his campaign for takeover by Constitution under which the 2014 Elec-
didate for President was clearly unwel- repeatedly publicly criticising the Gov- tions were held.
come. Was this the reason the BLV has ernment on some policies that it was What assurance can we really have
been side lined, disparaged and insulted promoting as not in the national interest. that the events of December 4, 2006
since the 2006 takeover? The BLV is not Some senior RFMF officers who opposed leading up to the removal of the govern-
now part of the 2013 Constitution. the politicisation of the army were com- ment will not be repeated in the future?
In 2000 Citizen’s Constitutional Forum pelled to resign. Some RFMF personnel That Fiji will not have another “Good
(CCF), had taken to court in support of a were even directed by Bainimarama to Governance Coup” to wipe out alleged
coup victim, Chandrika Prasad, the issue campaign against the SDL government corruption as the justification for the
of whether his human rights under the in the 2006 Elections. 2006 takeover?
1997 Constitution had been effectively The conflict between the elected gov- The problems of running a democratic
abrogated. ernment and the RFMF was played out system of Government in a country of
The Courts held that the Constitution in public for about three years until the different ethnic, religious and political
could only be temporarily suspended coup of December 2006. beliefs cannot be solved by military in-
in time of grave emergency when the This involved President Iloilo agreeing terventions on the basis that the RFMF
elected government was held hostage, to Bainimarama’s suggestion to dismiss knows better than elected MPs and their
but came back into full force after release Qarase’s elected coalition with the Fiji voters what is good for the people of Fiji.
of the hostages. Another CCF case at Labour Party government, which he did. It is best resolved by the elected political
the High Court June 2001, before Judge Colonel Kalouniwai has followed the leaders working together, through trial
Michael Scott, argued that the deposed precedent set by Bainimarama between and error, learning from their experi-
Parliament be restored because the con- 2002 to 2006 by criticising Opposition ences and agreeing to change for im-
stitution was still in place. The Court politicians. provement of policies and the rules of the
ruled it was necessary to have another It raises the question, is the RFMF en- government system. The deposed 2006
election. titled to publicly criticise or warn elected Coalition between SDL and Fiji Labour
The Bainimarama appointed interim SDL governments that their policies Party epitomised this.
government led by Laisenia Qarase threaten certain defence interests, or the A small country like Fiji with a relaxed,
was elected as the Soqosoqo Duavata ni security and wellbeing of the people? Or convivial and tolerant political culture
Lewenivanua (SDL) Government. should the RFMF only give such advice does not need a military-controlled gov-
This proved to be only a temporary confidentially to the Minister of Defence? ernment like in Pakistan.
setback for the RFMF long term plan. A few months after the SDL - FLP
Originally the RFMF had asked, after Coalition had been in power in 2006, Continued overleaf
the 1987 Coup, President Ratu Sir Pe- the RFMF removed them and appointed web link:
naia Ganilau and Ratu Kamisese Mara its own Cabinet regime that stayed in www.islandsbusiness.com

Islands Business, October 2017 35