Page 16 - IB Sept-Oct 2020

Fiji@50 Fiji@50

Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara Dr Timoci Bavadra Mahendra Chaudhry Sitiveni Rabuka Laisenia Qarase Voreqe Bainimarama
MARCHING INTO FIJI’S ‘FRANK’ NEW

POLITICAL ORDER

6 PMS, 4 COUPS, 4 CONSTITUTIONS AND 12 GENERAL ELECTIONS

By Samisoni Pareti Sir Edward Cakobau, Ratu Sir George Cakobau and Ratu Sir Pe-
naia Ganilau wrestled with the issue of political paramountcy.
In 1965, buoyed by the outcomes of the constitutional For our early leaders, the magic formula had to be found
conference in London, the Leader of Government Business somehow, for if one leant too much in favour of the indig-
in Fiji’s colonial government, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara sent a enous community, the wrath of Fiji’s other communities and
cable home: ‘Ni yalovinaka ni kakua ni taqaya, na veika kece that of the outside world would be unrelentingly merciless.
koni taqayataka e sega ni yaco, sa nomuni na lagilagi. [Do The same was be true if the pendulum swung too far in favour
not be concerned. All that you were concerned about did not the other ethnic groups that live in Fiji – indigenous Fijians
materialise. The victory is yours].’ would cry foul, and the consequences to one’s political career
Those poignant words were captured by renowned Fijian could be ruinous. It was to assuage those concerns that Ratu
historian and author, Professor Brij Lal in his book A Time Sir Kamisese sent that cable through to Fiji from London in
Bomb Lies Buried – Fiji’s Road to Independence, 1960-1970. 1965, and that Rabuka uttered ‘sa noda na qaqa’ on the bal-
Some 22 years later, Professor Lal described a public event cony of the Suva Civic Centre in 1987.
in Suva, seven days after then Lieutenant-Colonel Sitiveni Historians such as Professor Brij Lal believe the question
Rabuka had overthrown Fiji’s democratically government in a of political paramountcy was a key factor in the defeat of
coup d’état. Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara’s Alliance Party in the 1977 general
“A hush descended upon the lawn as the coup-maker, Lt elections. The Fijian Nationalist Party split the votes of the
Col. Sitiveni Rabuka appeared on the balcony. An athletic, indigenous community—the Alliance government’s former
handsome young man with a massive handlebar moustache, power base—enabling the National Federation Party to win.
and dressed in powder blue safari jacket and sulu, he spoke The Nationalist Party was formed by Sakeasi Butadroka, whom
in Fijian for a few minutes, explaining why he had carried out Ratu Sir Kamisese had sacked from his cabinet when he called
the coup and urging his people to remain calm. Then, with for the immediate repatriation of Indians. Butadroka was
both fists punching the air, as the crowd roared approval, he unhappy about the way aspirations for Fijian political para-
said: “Sa noda na qaqa” (Rest assured, we have won). mountcy were being handled by the Alliance Government.
In uttering similar words two decades apart, the leaders Rabuka voiced the same concerns when he led the military
were addressing the one issue that has plagued Fiji’s political coup that ousted Prime Minister Dr Timoci Bavadra of the Fiji
journey for 50 years: the political paramountcy of Fiji’s indig- Labour Party from government one month into its term. The
enous community as the first settlers of the island nation. Party had contested and won the 1987 general elections in
Fiji’s political journey since independence from Great coalition with the National Federation Party.
Britain in 1970 has been one of attempting to strive to strike The issue of political paramountcy also featured in the
a balance between the interests of the indigenous or iTaukei second coup Rabuka executed in September of the same year.
community and those of the other ethnicities that call Fiji As leader of the Soqosoqo Vakavulewa ni Taukei (SVT) Party,
home, in particular the descendants of Indian indentured Rabuka oversaw introduction of the 1990 constitution that
labourers the British brought to Fiji to work sugarcane planta- gave Fijians an overall majority in parliament of 37 seats to
tions during the late 1870s. Indians’ 27, and reserved the key positions of Prime Minister,
Any study of Fiji’s history will show how Ratu Sir Kamisese President and heads of the military and police for Fijians.
and other upcoming Fijian leaders of his time, notably Ratu That constitution was rejected as racist and untenable by

16 Islands Business, September/October 2020