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0Hodqhvld Lq 5Hylhz ,Vvxhv 0HODQHVLDLQ5HYLHZ,VVXHVDQG(YHQWV Fiji in for something really hard in terms Fiji remained firmly under military of how we will treat them this year” control through 2010, though internal (fbc, 5 Jan 2010). That threat was tensions were to become apparent never fully tested. The destruction of among the senior command. This was the old legal order—coupled with the a year of grudging acquiescence under quashing of defiance associated with the new order but also of shifts in the plans to hold the Methodist annual defining philosophy of the government conference in August 2009—had of military commander Frank Baini- silenced most prominent regime oppo- marama. The December 2006 military nents. The newspapers no longer car- coup had initially been depicted as an ried articles by known critics, though anticorruption “clean-up” campaign, most heavily used Internet blogs still though the newly established Fiji escaped the Ministry of Information ,QGHSHQGHQW&RPPLVVLRQDJDLQVW&RU- censors. Formerly dissident law- ruption (ficac) found little evidence yers had signed up to the new legal of corruption. A year later, the focus arrangements or had left the coun- had shifted to using electoral reform try, or else they were lying low. The as a tool for combating communal public-sector unions had been deeply divisions and to persuading usurped divided and defeated during the mid- politicians of the necessity of those 2007 strikes and were now unable reforms so as to achieve them in a to meet under repeatedly renewed legal manner, but this faded in promi- emergency regulations. The Great nence after the April 2009 abrogation &RXQFLORI&KLHIVKDGEHHQGLVEDQGHG of the 1997 constitution. By 2010, and the fourteen Fijian provincial both the cleansing of corruption and councils were each either deeply split electoral reform were largely off the or overtly pro-Bainimarama. Deposed agenda, and the emphasis was firmly 2000–2006 Prime Minister Laisenia on economic development and the 4DUDVHZDVSHULRGLFDOO\EURXJKW alleged inability of elected politicians before the courts during the year on to bring this about. All three perspec- charges both of manipulating Fijian tives had as their common denomina- Holdings Ltd dividends to his fam- tor—tailor-made for their different ily’s advantage while he was director epochs—a justification of military of the Fiji Development Bank in the seizure and retention of power. early 1990s, and of authorizing illegal The year opened with a threat of use of Native Land Trust Board funds stiff repression. Republic of Fiji Mili- for corporate investment purposes tary Forces (rfmf /DQG)RUFH&RP- in 2004 (rnz, 19 Jan 2010; Fiji Sun, mander Brigadier General Pita Driti 25 Jan 2011). Other prominent critics warned regime opponents to keep a of the regime were also harassed by low profile; “otherwise they will be the ficac or, as in the case of Labour 456 pol i t ical reviews melanesia 457 OHDGHU0DKHQGUD&KDXGKU\FKDUJHG the military-led reform project hoping with alleged breaches of the public thereby to sway government policy emergency regulations. one way or another. &RPPRGRUH%DLQLPDUDPDFLWHG Not only had the main parties been the urgency of reform as justifica- excluded from dialogue, but their tion for his clampdown. “We’ll need organizational bases were also under to shut people up,” he told abc’s attack. Dissolution of the municipal Foreign Correspondent program, councils in early 2009 had demolished explaining that “those reforms will a residual presence of the sdl, flp, never happen if we open everything and nfp in urban local-level govern- out to every Tom, Dick and Harry ment. The abolition of the Fiji Sugar to have their say” (Sydney Morning &RUSRUDWLRQªVDXWRPDWLFGHGXFWLRQ Herald, 4 Aug 2010). Yet the commo- of union dues in February 2010 was dore evidently felt less need by 2010 a further blow, both for the flp’s to elaborate this, and there were no National Farmers Union (nfu) and for major policy statements throughout remnants of the nfpªV)LML&DQH*URZ- the year. Elections remained sched- ers Association. The formerly elected uled for September 2014, but few had 6XJDU&DQH*URZHUV&RXQFLOZKLFK much confidence in that commitment. had been controlled by the nfu before In any case, Bainimarama insisted it was disbanded in 2009, was recon- that none of the established major stituted as a slimmed-down (eleven- SDUWLHV¦LQFOXGLQJ4DUDVHªV6RTR- member) government-nominated body soqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (sdl), (Fiji Times, 8 April 2010). nfu Gen- &KDXGKU\ªV)LML/DERXU3DUW\ flp), HUDO6HFUHWDU\0DKHQGUD&KDXGKU\ and the National Federation Party attacked the decision as “iniquitous (nfp)—would be allowed to contest and injudicious,” partly because the (rnz, 2 March 2010). Token efforts farmers were required to pay for this, to engage those political parties in and reminded the authorities that “one dialogue had been halted in 2009 just of the first acts of the military govern- prior to the abrogation of the 1997 ment when it took office in December constitution, and there were no signs 2006 was to dismiss the eight govern- of a reversal in that stance. A National PHQWQRPLQHHVRQWKH6XJDU&DQH Dialogue Forum—without political *URZHUV&RXQFLODVDQDIIURQWWR party involvement—was scheduled to WKHGHPRFUDWLFSURFHVV¨ &KDXGKU\ get underway in February 2010 (Fiji 2010). The sdl offices were raided Times, 27 Jan 2010), but this never in February after reports of a petition eventuated. Dialogue had proved an allegedly signed by 600,000 demand- irritant for Fiji’s new rulers: it had ing a return to democracy—though served to give a platform to their this number turned out to be based on internal critics—those who opposed claimed party membership rather than media censorship, wanted the public actual signatures (rnz, 23 Feb 2010). emergency regulations removed, and By midyear, the sdl had run out of insisted that Bainimarama hold to money; its website, after only a brief his promise of eventual elections, but appearance, had vanished; and former who had nevertheless signed up to spokesman Peceli Kinivuwai was off 458 the contemporary pacific 23:2 (2011) harvesting onions in Griffith, Austra- officials” (Smith-Johns 2010). Despite OLD4DUDVHE\QRZVHYHQW\\HDUVROG the new media decree, the public spent much time over the year in his emergency regulations remained in Mavana village on the remote island place. RI9DQXDEDODYXUHWXUQLQJWR6XYD &RQWURORYHUWKHPHGLDGLGQRW mainly for periodic court appearances. exhaust efforts to extinguish the In vain, the flp had appealed for “the voices of coup opponents. “We will &RPPRGRUHQRWWRSDLQWDOOSROLWLFDO stop pension payments to all those parties with the same brush” (flp, 2 who speak against the Government March 2010 <HWE\-XO\&KDXGKU\ or all citizens seen to halt Govern- too was before the courts, facing ment’s work on moving the country money-laundering and tax-evasion forward,” announced the permanent charges, based on the exposés of 2008 secretary for Information, Lieutenant- (see Fraenkel 2009). In October, the &RORQHO1HXPL/HZHQLLQ-DQX- Labour leader was again arrested, this ary (Fiji Sun, 13 Jan 2010). Sitiveni time for allegedly holding an illegal Rabuka, the 1987 coup leader and National Farmers Union meeting in 1992–1999 prime minister, had his Rakiraki. pension canceled, and his official car Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed- was seized while he was out collecting Khaiyum’s declared intention, in coconuts in Natewa Bay. Payments early 2010, was for a media decree to other former prime ministers were to replace the public emergency also halted. In April, it was reported regulations (FijiLive, 8 April 2010). that the retirement benefits of thirty- Finalized on 28 June, the decree five sdl leaders had been terminated, prohibited foreign ownership of more including those of former Finance than 10 percent of media organiza- Minister Jone Kubuabola, the brother tions. This threatened the closure of of serving foreign minister, Ratu Inoke the foreign-owned Fiji Times, which Kubuabola (rnz, 20 April 2010). The would have put 180 employees out destruction of the old political order of work. Instead, two weeks ahead evidently entailed little sympathy for of the 28 September deadline, Rupert kinship links with the new, though Murdoch’s News Ltd sold the paper some speculated that a strategy of per- to Mahendra Patel’s Motibhai Group, sonal economic ruin might rather be and long-serving editor and govern- calculated to entice siblings to assume ment critic Netani Rika soon departed. positions in the new regime and thus Some remaining appeal to the righ- boost government credibility. There teousness of the 2006 coup may have had been few concrete steps in that helped the flp website to escape the direction: the one sdl minister who grip of the Ministry of Information had joined Bainimarama’s cabinet, censors, but soon this site too was Jonetani Navakamocea, was sacked pulled into line after allegations of in January 2008. “posting media press releases on its Nevertheless, mid-2010 saw website calculated either to undermine some signs of moderation in the government generally or to bring core confrontation generated by disrepute to particular government the December 2006 takeover, pit- pol i t ical reviews melanesia 459 ting the coup makers against Fijian consolidate its influence. Behind the paramount chiefs, Methodist leaders, scenes, the Methodist church leader- and the deposed sdl. By May, the ship was being steadily reconstructed, pensions decree had been revoked, prompting 2010’s most popular dissi- and soon other signs emerged that GHQWZHEVLWH&RXS)RXU3RLQW)LYHWR the regime was easing off in response accuse the church of “bending over for to growing ethnic Fijian acquies- Bainimarama” (29 March 2010). In cence. Ro Teimumu Kepa, Rewa January, Bainimarama had demanded chief and deposed education minister WKHUHVLJQDWLRQVRI0HWKRGLVW&KXUFK LQ4DUDVHªVJRYHUQPHQWKDGEHHQ President Ame Tugaue and the general arrested for her readiness to host secretary, the Reverend Tuikilakila the Methodist annual conference in Waqairatu, on the grounds that both August 2009, but proceedings against had been meddling in politics and her were dropped in September 2010.
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