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Fiji Fiji

“I didn’t know what he was ready for. He said I’m ready. To dered over words of scripture – for he found much solace in
help I suppose. So, I got him to come. Two mornings after- his Catholic faith – as he clawed through 50 years of political
wards I… both Savua and I usually called him, Savua and (Act- experience for an answer.
ing Commander Colonel Alfred) Tuatoko,” Ratu Sir Kamisese Here, in the twilight of his career and life, Ratu Sir Kamis-
said. ese was put in a position to choose between personal comfort
“That Sunday morning Ratu Epeli Ganilau also came to see and the nation which he had helped mould.
me and I said you should wait until we hear what we dis- And in that moment, on a rocking patrol boat, on a dark
cussed. As soon as they sat down, I said - You two, I want you night, surrounded by men of war with the lights of Suva twin-
to know (and I pointed Rabuka and Savua) you have a hand in kling in the distance, Ratu Sir Kamisese sacrificed his political
this thing.’’ life.
Asked how the men reacted, Ratu Sir Kamisese was certain In the Gospel of Saint John, Jesus says: Greater love has no
of their culpability. one than this – to lay down his life for his friends.
“Oh, you could see it on their face.’’ When Fiji’s Police Commissioner, Andrew Hughes, was re-
And then, out of the darkness, the patrol boat Lautoka drew moved in 2006, Ratu Sir Kamisese’s removal as President was
alongside carrying military men who would use tradition to one of the cases under investigation.
remove their Commander in Chief. There is no Statute of Limitations on capital offences,
To remove the single thorn in the side of Speight and his which means that those involved can still be investigated if
treasonous mob. there is sufficient evidence to prove that treason was commit-
More than 100 years earlier, the seafaring, rampaging Kapai- ted aboard the Kiro that fateful night.
wai was lured to his death with a whale’s tooth and promises If that should happen, once again the sails of Kapaiwai will
of safe passage. be seen on the horizon, not far from where Ratu Sir Kamisese
Instead he was taken to Bau and hanged. Mara vanished on a fateful night in May 2000.
Did thoughts of treachery pass through Ratu Sir Kamisese’s
mind as he sat and watched and listened to the platitudes so This month marks the 101st Birthday of late Ratu Sir Kamis-
common in iTaukei presentations? ese Mara.
One can hardly imagine the mental anguish of a man who
had laid the foundation stones of a nation, and guided it into Netani Rika is an award-wining journalist and part owner of
independence as he wrestled with his thoughts. the regional Islands Business magazine. He is former Editor-
The future of his homeland, the safety of a cherished child, in-Chief of The Fiji Times.
the inability of the army and police to protect the people.
One would imagine that Ratu Sir Kamisese may have pon- editor@islandsbusiness.com
Opinion

Continued from page 5 nised by the public as those in charge.
We call on the public to put this sorry saga behind us and to
other as the true winners of the 9 April election. unite behind a new Prime Minister.
It is our sincere hope that, whatever transpires, these words Fiame has shown humility, calm, and wisdom as all around
do not translate into real unrest. her has turned chaotic. Not once has she given off any sign
But it was heartening to see the Police Commissioner, of panic. Nor has she sought to stoke public discontent as a
Fuiavailiili Egon Keil, escorted Justice Satiu on his unsuccess- political tactic.
ful walk. She has more than earned her position as this nation’s new
It was not his officers who had the building locked. Prime Minister.
But when asked for comment on what role the Police would This is Samoa. We do not need force to be exercised to
take, stating that he considered it the force’s job to uphold make a swearing-in law. We have already spoken at the ballot
the rule of law, which, he said, included the constitution - the box, nearly two months ago. In the meantime, we have seen
ultimate legal document. disgraceful attempts to flout and undermine the rule of law.
“This is what we do every day,” he told reporters. “We’ll Whatever happens next we must never forget that politi-
continue down that road until this thing ends.” cians - and the people they appoint - serve only with authority
It is our sincere hope that the Commissioner does not have that comes from us and us alone - the people. Ultimately we
to become involved to further mar what should be a proud set the standards for their acceptable conduct and are the
moment in our democratic history. But he has made a clear ultimate arbiters of what is politically right.
signal of intent that he is on the side of the rule of law: its
provisions on whether an election can be voided or a swear- This editorial first appeared in the Samoa Observer on May
ing-in can be voided in breach of constitutional provisions has 25, 2021.
been made painfully clear this month.
But another element of legitimacy is popular acceptance. editor@islandsbusiness.com
Rulers ultimately derive their authority from being recog-

Islands Business, May 2021 35