Fiji's community condemns coup The following article was published in "The Guardian", newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, May 24th, 2000. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Sydney. 2010 Australia. Phone: (612) 9212 6855 Fax: (612) 9281 5795. CP? Central Committee: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "The Guardian": <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Webpage: http://www.cpa.org.au> Subscription rates on request. ****************************** As "The Guardian" went to press Fiji was still being held to ransom by the instigators of the May 18 coup. Members of Parliament and government Ministers, including Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, remain hostages of the small band of armed men led by business man George Speight. The meeting of Chiefs was about to commence. On May 18 two events took place in Fiji's capital Suva almost simultaneously -- an armed seizure of the parliament building which took everyone inside hostage; and an anti-government march and rally of the indigenous Fijian Taukei movement members. The leader of the Taukei movement, Ratu Tevita Bolobolo, then made a statement which was supported by the main opposition party, the SVT. "We do not and we will never accept the reinstatement of the Chaudhry Government. We hereby state that we fully support the abolition of the 1997 constitution and warn Fijian President Ratu Mara that any intervention by force will lead to all out civil war. We the Taukei are ready to make the ultimate sacrifice so as to return this country to the Taukei." George Speight was under investigation for shady financial dealings in the timber industry. Apisai Tora, another leader of the Taukei movement which has been trying to destabilise Fiji since last year, was also under investigation for financial mismanagement. In fact, these people, as Dr Ratuva of the University of the South Pacific noted, were really trying to "get the Chaudhry Government before it gets them". When the Chaudhry Government was elected a year ago, a number of the Fijian middle class who had enjoyed the benefits of government contracts during the previous Rabuka regime lost out when the Fiji Labor Party came to power. "They are playing the `indigenous card' but most are really out for their own personal self-interest and in fact support the privatisation of Fijian lands for commercial development by people like themselves", said Dr Ratuva. Is Speight acting alone? One of the main questions is whether Speight is acting as a lone ranger or if there are any other political forces who are using him as a puppet or vehicle to set up a new government more to their liking. That is how Speight himself puts it: "When I overthrew the coalition government of Mahendra Chaudhry yesterday in fact at the same time I abrogated the constitution of Fiji, through a civilian coup. My actions install in Fiji a civilian-led government with me as its head of state to effectively control power. "But in abrogating the constitution I effectively removed all laws existing in Fiji so we have no legal foundation on which to run our affairs. "Consequently we have two options on which to progress, with regard to establishing a legal foundation for the running of the affairs of the civilian government which I put in place: one was to use my executive powers as head of state to bring back the abrogated constitution with certain amendments that would safeguard the status of the indigenous Fijians. "Or alternatively I would proceed down the path of the formulation and promulgation of appropriate decrees which would achieve the same thing in its own way. I have chosen the latter strategy and that is to formulate and promulgate decrees. Reaction to the coup Reactions from organisations within Fiji were practically identical -- demands for the safety of the hostages and condemnation of the act itself. The Movement for Democracy and Human Rights in Fiji stressed that "if this senseless and armed takeover is allowed to succeed, the future of democratic governments not only in Fiji but the Pacific will be in jeopardy". The Fiji Citizens' Constitutional Forum (CCF), a community-based group which played a key role in the establishment of the multi- racial 1997 constitution, strongly condemned the kidnapping of the Government and the looting and violence. "We call especially on our international partners who have contributed to the long process of democratisation in Fiji which culminated in our 1997 Constitution -- governments, churches, NGOs and committed individuals -- to join us in this chorus of condemnation against this `civil coup'", said executive director Reverend Akuila Yabaki. "The group of seven armed men who have carried out these acts of violence are made of unpopular politicians and discredited businessmen. Anyone who thinks that the ethnic Fijian community can benefit from this coup is living in a fool's paradise." -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
