Fiji: a New System Under Pressure
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1 EXPLANATORY NOTE This Is the Report of the Commonwealth
EXPLANATORY NOTE This is the Report of the Commonwealth Observer Group which was present for the General Election in Fiji Islands, held from 6 to 13 May 2006. The Group’s report is reproduced here in the form in which it was signed by the Observers prior to their departure from Suva on 21 May 2006. It was transmitted to the Commonwealth Secretary- General on Friday 2 June 2006. During the following week he sent it to the Prime Minister of Fiji Islands, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, the Supervisor of Elections, the leaders of the main political parties and Commonwealth governments. It was placed on this web-site and released to the media on Monday 12 June 2006. Printed copies are available from: Democracy Section Political Affairs Division Commonwealth Secretariat Pall Mall London SW1Y 5HX United Kingdom Tel: +44 207 747 6407/6397/6398 Fax: +44 207 930 2189 • Please note that the page numbers shown on the contents page relate to the printed version of the report. Only Annexes II and IV are shown. The others will be added at a later date. 1 Fiji Islands General Election 6-13 May 2006 REPORT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OBSERVER GROUP 2 CONTENTS Page Letter of Transmittal CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION 1 Invitation 1 Terms of Reference 1 Activities of the Group 2 CHAPTER TWO – POLITICAL BACKGROUND 4 Brief Historical Background 4 Political Overview 4 The Development of the 1997 Constitution 5 1999 Elections 6 2000 George Speight Coup 6 Commonwealth Engagement 7 2001 Election and Section 99 (5) of the Constitution 7 Talanoa Process 8 CMAG Meeting -
'The People Have Spoken …'
1 ‘The People Have Spoken …’ Steven Ratuva and Stephanie Lawson Fiji’s general elections of 17 September 2014, held eight years after Fiji’s fourth coup, saw some significant firsts, generated largely by new constitutional arrangements. These included a radically deracialised electoral system in which the entire country forms a single electorate and utilises open-list proportional representation. This system, brought in under the regime of coup leader Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, was designed first and foremost to encourage a shift away from previous patterns of electoral behaviour which, due in large measure to provisions for communal electorates and voting, were inevitably attuned to communal political identities and the perceived interests attached to them. Elections under such a system certainly allowed ‘the people’ to speak, but in a way which gave primacy to those particular identities and interests and, arguably, contributed to a political culture that saw democracy itself severely undermined in the process. This was illustrated only too clearly by the recurrence of coups d’état between 1987 and 2006 that all revolved, in one way or another, around issues of communal identity expressed through discourses of indigenous Fijian (Taukei) rights versus those of other ethnic or racial communities, especially of those of Indian descent. These discourses remain highly salient politically but, under the Constitution promulgated by the Bainimarama regime in 2013, they are no longer supported institutionally via electoral arrangements. As a result, political parties have generally been forced to at least 1 THE PEOPLE Have SPOKEN attempt to appeal to all ethnic communities. These institutional changes have brought Fiji’s political system much closer to the standard model of liberal democracy in which ‘one person, one vote, one value’ is a basic norm. -
Elections and Politics in Fiji
i ii iii Co-Published by ANU E Press and Asia Pacific Press The Australian National Unversity Canberra ACT 0200 Email: [email protected] Website: http://epress.anu.edu.au National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Lal, Brij V. Islands of turmoil : elections and politics in Fiji. Bibliography. Includes index. ISBN 0 7315 3751 3 ISBN 1 920942 75 0 (Online document) 1. Fiji - Politics and government. 2. Fiji - Social conditions. 3. Fiji - Economic conditions. I. Title. 996.11 This work is copyright. Apart from those uses which may be permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 as amended, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the publishers. The views expressed in this book are those of the author and not necessarily of the publishers. Editor: Bridget Maidment Publisher: Asia Pacific Press and ANU E Press Design: Annie Di Nallo Design Printers: University Printing Service, The Australian National University Cover photo, Nukulau Prison, is copyright and used with permission (www.fijilive.com). Author photo by Darren Boyd, Coombs Photography. First edition © 2006 ANU E Press and Asia Pacific Press For the people of the Fiji Islands There is a dawn at the end of the darkest night v Contents Abbreviations vii Preface viii 1. The road to independence 1 2. Continuity and change 24 3. Things fall apart 49 4. Back from the abyss 77 5. Rabuka’s republic 100 6. Charting a new course 126 7. A time to change 155 8. George Speight’s coup 185 9. In George Speight’s shadow 206 10. -
General Assembly Distr.: General 10 November 2001
United Nations A/56, i/611 General Assembly Distr.: General 10 November 2001 Original: English Fifty-sixth session Agenda item 35 Support by the United Nations system of the efforts of Governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies United NationsJElectoral Observer Mission for the general elections iri Fiji in August 2001 ' Report of the Secretary-General I. Summary statistical analysis and broad consultations with representatives of Fijian society, the United Nations 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to has concluded that the elections were conducted in a General Assembly resolution 55/280 of 25 July 2001, credible manner and that the results reflected the will in which the Secretary-General was authorized to of the people of Fiji. establish and requested to deploy the United Nations 4. During the period of post-election observation, Electoral Observer Mission to monitor the electoral however, a number of concerns were registered process and immediate post-election environment in regarding the formation of the Government. In Fiji and requested to report on the implementation of contravention of the Constitution, a multiparty Cabinet the resolution. was not formed and this is now the subject of a legal 2. Resolution 55/280 was adopted in response to a challenge. letter dated 4 June 2001 from the caretaker Government of Fiji to the Secretary-General (see II. Background A/55/1016), in which the United Nations was requested to send observers to attend the upcoming general elections, which were being held as part of an Recent political history expressed determination to restore the system of constitutional democracy that was derailed by the coup 5. -
The State Department Web Site Below Is a Permanent Electro Information Released Prior to January 20, 2001
U.S. Department of State, Human Rights Reports for 1999: Fiji Page 1 of 11 The State Department web site below is a permanent electro information released prior to January 20, 2001. Please see w material released since President George W. Bush took offic This site is not updated so external links may no longer func us with any questions about finding information. NOTE: External links to other Internet sites should not be co endorsement of the views contained therein. 1999 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor U.S. Department of State, February 25, 2000 FIJI Fiji continued to make progress toward a more representative and democratic government following peaceful and democratic elections in May. The amended Constitution that came into effect in July 1998 encourages a multiethnic government while protecting traditional Fijian values. Under the amended Constitution, the Prime Minister and the President can be of any race, and for the first time, in addition to the communally allocated seats, there are open seats not allocated to any racial community in the lower house of Parliament. The judiciary is independent. The Constitution also includes a strengthened bill of rights and a compact designed to protect the rights of all citizens. It alters the official name of the country to "Republic of the Fiji Islands" and designates all citizens "Fiji Islanders," avoiding designations specifying ethnicity. However, it preserves the paramountcy of indigenous Fijian interests, which cannot be subordinated to the interests of other communities. Peaceful and democratic elections were held in May and resulted in a change of government and the election of a Labor Party-led coalition administration. -
2018 Fijian Elections Insights on the Electoral System, Institutions, Laws and Processes 2018 Fijian Elections
2018 Fijian Elections Insights on the Electoral System, Institutions, Laws and Processes 2018 Fijian Elections Insights on the Electoral System, Institutions, Laws and Processes. 2018 Fijian Elections Insights on the Electoral System, Institutions, Laws and Processes. Nilesh Lal ©2019 International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) ©2019 Dialogue Fiji (DF) International IDEA publications (including joint publications) are independent of specific national or political interests. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of International IDEA, its Board or its Council members. These articles were originally published in the Fiji Times during the months of September and October 2018 and are re-published with the kind permission of the publisher. International IDEA Stromsborg, SE-103 34 Stockholm, Sweden Email: [email protected], website: www.idea.int or Dialogue Fiji 9 Rose Place, Rewa Street, Suva, Fiji Email: [email protected], website: www.dialoguefiji.com The electronic version of this publication is available under a Creative Commons licence (CCl)— Creative Commons Attribute-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) license. You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the publication as well as to remix and adapt it provided it is only for non-commercial purposes, that you appropriately attribute the publication, and that you distribute it under an identical license. For more information on this license, visit the Creative Commons website: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Graphic Design: Boraine Nansen Cover Photo: Fijian Elections Office ISBN: 987-982-101-061-0 Foreword Elections, particularly in divided societies can be a tricky exercise, often including suspicions by the losing candidates and parties. -
2018 General Election Joint Report by the Electoral
2018 GENERAL ELECTION By THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION & SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS 2018 GENERAL ELECTION JOINT REPORT THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION & SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS Contents I. Forward 1 II. Introduction 2 III. Key Dates 8 IV. 2018 General Election 9 V. Voter Education 15 VI. Political Parties 17 VII. Electoral Complaints 18 VIII. Legal Challenges 19 IX. Election Expenditure 20 X. International Support 21 XI. Inter-agency cooperation 23 XII. Conclusion 24 XIII. Recommendations 25 XIV. Annexes 29 2018 General Election - Final Report by the Supervisor of Elections 1-121 2018 Fijian General Election - Final Report of the Multinational Observer Group 1-71 III 2018 GENERAL ELECTION JOINT REPORT THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION & SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS IV 2018 GENERAL ELECTION JOINT REPORT THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION & SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS I. Foreword We present this joint report on the 2018 General Election in accordance with Section 14(g) of the Electoral Act 2014 [Act]. The Electoral Commission [EC] and the Fijian Elections Office FEO[ ] conducted the 2018 General Election on 14 November 2018. Due to heavy rain and flooding in some locations, it was decided to adjourn Polling in those locations and a re-poll was conducted on 17 November 2018 allowing all voters the opportunity to access the Polling places and cast their vote. The General Election was contested by six (6) Political Parties while there were no Independent Candidates. A total of 235 Candidates contested the election which saw a total turnout of 71.9% of the registered voters. In this Joint Report, details of activities of the EC are highlighted together with joint responsibilities of the EC and the FEO. -
Fiji's Electoral Boundaries and Malapportionment
288 FROM ELECTION TO COUP IN FIJI 22 Fiji’s electoral boundaries and malapportionment Kesaia Seniloli It has been claimed that demographic distribution and the drawing of constituency boundaries together had significant impacts on the outcomes of Fiji’s 1999, 2001 and 2006 elections. In part, this was due to constitutionally entrenched provisions by which Fiji’s parliament mainly comprises members from ‘communal’ constituencies – currently 23 for the ethnic Fijians, 19 for the Fiji Indians, three for the General voters and one for the island of Rotuma – and a number (since 1997, 25) of open constituencies, with the boundaries drawn in such a way that ‘voters should comprise a good proportion of members of different ethnic communities’.1 The Constituency Boundaries Commission (CBC) could do little about the constitutionally entrenched provisions. Nevertheless, many commentators felt that the 25 open constituencies were insufficiently heterogeneous. Furthermore, prior to the 2006 poll, many political parties claimed that substantial population movements over the period 1998 to 2006 necessitated some redrawing of the open constituency boundaries. The aim of this chapter is twofold. First, it outlines the process of electoral boundary demarcation for the 1999 election. Second, it explains the implications of the use of the 1998 boundaries in the 2006 election. It concludes with some reflections about the future. Delimitation of constituencies in Fiji, under the Constitution (Amendment) Act 1997, was an enormous undertaking in terms of time and resources. Delimiting was complicated because four different sets of boundaries had to be drawn – one set each for urban Fijian, General voter, ethnic Indian and FIJI’S ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES AND MALAPPORTIONMENT 289 the open constituencies. -
~~~ Iii) A/67OO/Add.5* ASSEMBLY 3 November 1967 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
~ UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ~~~ iii) A/67OO/Add.5* ASSEMBLY 3 November 1967 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Twenty-second session Agenda item 69 REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE SITUATION WITH REGARD TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECLARATION ON THE GRANTING OF INDEPENDENCE TO COLONIAL COUNTRIES AND PEOPLES (covering its work during 1967) Rapporteur: Mr. Mohsen S. ESFANDIARY (Iran) CHAPTER VII FIJI CONTENTS Paragraphs I. ACTION TAKEN BY THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE IN 1966 AND BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT ITS TWENTY-FIRST SESSION. 1 - 2 2 II. INFORMATION ON THE TERRITORY 3 - 41 4 III. CONSIDERATION BY THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE 42 - 89 12 IV. ACTION TAKEN BY THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ... 90 - 101 26 * This document contains chapter VII of the Special Committee's report to the General Assembly. The general introductory chapter will be issued subsequently under the symbol A/6700 (part I). Other chapters of the report are being reproduced as addenda. 67-25641 I .•. 30 P. A/6700/Add.5 Engl.ish Page 2 I. ACTION TAKEN BY THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE IN 1966 AND BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT ITS TWENTY-FIRST SESSION 1. In 1963 and 1964 the Special Committee adopted resolutions concerning Fiji.1/ After considering the question of Fiji at its meetings in 1966, the Special .Committee adopted a resolution_g_/ in which it reaffirmed the inalienable right of the people of Fiji to freedom and independence in accordance with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, and called upon the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administering -
Elections and Politics in Contemporary Fiji
Chiefs and Indians: Elections and Politics in Contemporary Fiji Brij V. Lal 1he Republic of Fiji went to the polls in May 1992, its first election since the military coups of 1987 and the sixth since 1970, when the islands became independent from Great Britain. For many people in Fiji and out side, the elections were welcome, marking as they did the republic's first tentative steps toward restoring parliamentary democracy and interna tional respectability, and replacing rule by decree with rule by constitu tionallaw. The elections were a significant event. Yet, hope mingles eerily with apprehension; the journey back to genuine representative democracy is fraught with difficulties that everyone acknowledges but few know how to resolve. The elections were held under a constitution rejected by half of the pop ulation and severely criticized by the international community for its racially discriminatory, antidemocratic provisions. Indigenous Fijian po litical solidarity, assiduously promoted since the coups, disintegrated in the face of the election-related tensions within Fijian society. A chief-spon sored political party won 30 of the 37 seats in the 7o-seat House of Repre sentatives, and was able to form a government only in coalition with other parties. Sitiveni Rabuka, the reluctant politician, became prime minister after gaining the support of the Fiji Labour Party, which he had over thrown in 1987, and despite the opposition of his predecessor and para mount chief of Lau, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. In a further irony, a consti tutional system designed to entrench the interests of Fijian chiefs placed a commoner at the national helm. -
Lowy Poll FIJI
Lowy Institute Fiji Poll 2011 Fiji at Home and in the World PUBLIC OPINION AND FOREIGN POLICY Jenny Hayward-Jones Fiji at Home and in the World Executive Summary The Lowy Institute Fiji Poll reports the results of a cent said the Fiji government was doing a good job preparing face-to-face opinion survey conducted in Fiji between to draft a new constitution, 52% said the government was 19 and 21 August 2011 using a sample of 1,032 adults doing a good job making progress towards elections and randomly selected from the major urban and peri-urban 51% said the government was doing a good job reforming areas of Viti Levu (the main island of Fiji). the electoral system. A significant majority (66%) of Fiji people said the Church Fiji and the World should not be involved in politics. Most Fiji people were positive about the importance of While overall approval for the current key role of the Fiji maintaining good foreign relationships, particularly with military was high at 68%, support for a long-term role for traditional partners such as Australia, New Zealand, the the military in Fiji’s politics was lower at 52%. United States and United Kingdom. They also recognised the value of relationships with Asian economic powers – There was near universal support in Fiji for some of the China, Japan and India. basic tenets of democracy, with over 95% overall support for the importance of the right to free expression, the right Although the Fiji government has worked hard on its to vote in national elections, the right to a fair trial, and a relationships with fellow Melanesian countries, Papua New media free from censorship. -
WILLIAMS COLLEGE LIBRARIES Your Unpublished Thesis, Submitted
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