Melanesia in Review: Issues and Events, 2014

New Caledonia and Papua are not reservations about holding an election reviewed in this issue. at all, accused sodelpa of exacerbat- ing ethnic divisions and of planning to release 2000 coup leader George The first nine months of 2014 in ­Speight, and said that Suva would not Fiji were dominated by preparations be allowed to “burn” again (rnzi, for the long-awaited 17 September 4 Sept 2014; Fiji Sun, 4 Sept 2014; election. In accordance with the fbc, 11 Sept 2014). Heroic interpreta- “Strategic Framework for Change” tions of the military’s response to the set out in July 2009, a new constitu- Speight coup of May 2000 had long tion had been put in place in 2013 been used to consolidate rank-and-file (see Fraenkel 2014), but the associ- control in the army (see Bainimarama ated electoral arrangements were 2014a). Now, in the context of the finalized only in March 2014. In the election campaign, these were used same month, Prime Minister Voreqe to remind the minority communities Bainimarama stepped down as about the risk of instability in the military commander and announced event of a poor showing for FijiFirst. the formation of his new politi- If the early September poll was cal party, FijiFirst. Also in March, correct, voter loyalties polarized in Rewa high chief Ro the weeks before the polls, with the became leader of the main Opposi- smaller parties losing support. The tion party, the Social Democratic and final outcome gave FijiFirst 59.2 Liberal Party (sodelpa, formerly the percent of the national vote and 32 of Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua the 50 parliamentary seats, a landslide [sdl]). Initial polls released by the Fiji victory. sodelpa had 15 seats and Sun’s Razor Research gave Bainima­ 28.2 percent of the national vote. The rama a commanding 79 percent only other party to cross the 5 percent lead and ­suggested negligible sup- threshold was the National Federa- port for sodelpa (Fiji Sun, 2 March tion Party (nfp), which obtained the 2014), but these were widely consid- remaining 3 seats. The Fiji Labour ered untrustworthy. As the polling Party (flp), which had obtained 39.2 day drew closer, a Times-Tebbutt percent of the national vote in 2006, poll found 21 percent support for slumped to 2.4 percent. The People’s sodelpa and 45 percent for FijiFirst, Democratic Party (pdp)—a breakaway implying that the gap was narrow- from the flp—fared only slightly ing and encouraging expectations of ­better, with 3.2 percent. Predictably, a pre­election surge in support for the given the high threshold, the two Opposition (, 6 Sept 2014). ­independents obtained few votes. In the heated atmosphere of early Owing to Fiji’s history of election- September, Bainimarama expressed triggered coups, fears of military inter-

508 political reviews • melanesia 509 vention inevitably lurked in the back- the election, it was announced that the ground during the 2014 campaign, or new commander was relocating to an at least they did so as long as the result office in Berkley Crescent, close to the was uncertain. Bainimarama’s replace- nerve centers of government (Fiji Sun, ment as military commander, former 12 June 2014). Land Force Commander Brigadier The 2014 election was fought using Mosese Tikoitoga, said in April that a new uniquely candidate-centered, the role of the Republic of Fiji Mili- open-list, proportional representa- tary Forces (rfmf) was to defend the tion (pr) system. Open-list systems by new constitution and that “whatever definition center on choices of politi- government the people choose, we will cal party as well as candidate, but support it.” However, he also warned Fiji’s ballot paper offered no obvious that “if people throw out the current party choice whatsoever. Only the constitution as current political parties candidates’ allotted numbers were are talking about—then they have visible on the ballot papers, not their thrown out the chance of avoiding party affiliations. Nevertheless, as in coups” (Islands Business, April 2014; Finland and Brazil, it was the party rnzi, 24 June 2014; FijiLive, 21 June tallies that were indirectly critical for 2014). The desire to keep the military determining how many seats each out of politics may have been genuine, party won. Individual candidate tallies but that commitment proved difficult were summed at the counting center to sustain, particularly for an institu- to reach party tallies, thus determining tion as intertwined with the fabric of how many seats each party obtained. Fijian life as the rfmf. In July, the Only after this calculation of party rfmf announced it was severing all seat entitlements did the highest intra- ties with former military officer and party personal votes determine which sodelpa candidate Suliano of each party’s candidates were elected Matanitobua after he appealed to the (for further detail on the difference people of Namosi to put obligations between open- and closed-list pr to the vanua (indigenous system) over systems, see ace 2015). Also unusu- loyalties to the rfmf (FijiLive, 31 July ally for open-list pr systems, the 2014 2014). Immunities for actions taken election was fought using a single during the 2006 coup and thereafter national constituency (see the discus- were entrenched in the 2013 Consti- sion by electoral commissioner Father tution and these were as vital to the David Arms of a model using three, rfmf senior command as they were to four, or five multimember constituen- the government leadership. Hence, the cies [Arms 2012]). The voting age was military top brass carefully guarded reduced from 21 to 18, and Fiji citi- its rehabilitated constitutional respon- zens residing in other countries were sibility “to ensure at all times, the for the first time entitled to vote. security, defence and well-being of Most importantly, this was Fiji’s Fiji and all ” (Fiji Government first general election without commu- 2013, section 131 (2) [section 5 (1) nal rolls. Ever since 1929, Fiji’s gen- provides that “all citizens of Fiji shall eral elections had separated “Fijians,” be known as Fijians”]). Shortly before “Indians,” and “Others” by race, and 510 the contemporary pacific • 27:2 (2015) required each ethnic group to cast was convicted of exchange control ­ballots entailing choices of leaders fraud in early 2014, but eventu- within their communities (though ally—after the election—he avoided a often with supplementary votes cast fifteen-month prison term by paying in “cross-voting” [1966], “national” a fine of f$2 million (approximately [1972–1987], or “open” [1999–2006] us$1,080,000 in mid-2014). Without constituencies on a common roll). its longtime leader, the flp polled Within Fiji, this major 2014 change poorly. Its ­former strongholds in the was often misleadingly described as sugarcane belts of Ba (western Viti serving to “eliminate racial voting,” Levu) and Macuata (northern Vanua largely because the latter had been Levu) instead gave majority support to one of Bainimarama’s 2012 “non­ FijiFirst. negotiable” provisions expected of Other would-be candidates were the new constitution (for a discussion also prohibited from contesting. of these deliberations, see Fraenkel sodelpa’s preferred representa- 2013). What the new electoral frame- tive for the Lau Islands, sacked civil work did do was remove the insti- servant , had his nomina- tutional endorsement of race-based tion rejected on the grounds that voting and end the long-standing (due to his termination) he had been gerrymander in favor of rural parts of working as a consultant in Solomon the country. Islands and thus was claimed not to Voter registration in 2014 was up be, as required under a belated July 23 percent over 2006 levels, partly amendment to the Electoral Decree, reflecting the new enfranchisement “ordinarily resident in Fiji for at least of those aged 18 to 21. Turnout 2 years immediately before being was also high, averaging 84 percent, nominated” (Fiji Government 2014, despite the abandonment of compul- section 23, paragraph 4[c]; pina, 4 sory voting. The 5 percent threshold Aug 2014). discouraged independents, who would Disagreement flared between the have needed 24,819 votes to gain Electoral Commission and Supervisor a single seat. If they failed to reach of Elections Mohammed Saneem after that threshold, votes for the smaller the latter decided to allow FijiFirst’s parties also entailed wasted votes. Praveen Bala Kumar to contest, The Electoral Decree forbade can- despite his being a public officer at the didates who had “been convicted of time of nomination, and to incorrectly any offence under any law for which disqualify one of the flp candidates the maximum penalty is a term of (rnzi, 23 Aug 2014; FijiLive, 23 imprisonment of 12 months or more” Aug 2014). The commission tried to (Fiji Government 2014, section 23, reverse both decisions, but the super- paragraph 4). That ruled out deposed visor said that their advice had come Prime Minister , who too late (rnzi, 26 Aug 2014; Islands had served a one-year prison sentence Business, Aug 2014). The commis- in 2012–2013, and also disqualified sioners boycotted the announcement flp leader and former Prime Minister of the National Candidate List on 23 Mahendra Chaudhry. Mr Chaudhry August and took the matter to court, political reviews • melanesia 511 though the case was dismissed on through Vesikula’s speech in Verata. the grounds that the three-day time The hornet’s nest had been stirred limit for objections was valid in law only on the prime minister’s return ( 2014). The dispute to Suva, where the favored reaction briefly threatened to ruin the credibil- was punitive rather than political. ity of the election administration, but On election night, Raj had no qualms resignations were avoided. Allegations about appearing on Fiji tv as an overt of bias were inevitable: the supervi- supporter of FijiFirst. sor had close links to the attorney- FijiFirst’s strategy was to seek general, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, who to maximize the personal vote for had retained his position as minister Bainimarama, who was able to obtain of elections throughout the campaign 202,459 votes (40.8% of the national despite simultaneously assuming the vote, or 68.9% of the FijiFirst vote). role of general-secretary of FijiFirst. The party’s campaign propaganda Media censorship was gradu- focused on the politics of modern- ally relaxed over 2012–2014 but ization, and described opponents as remained an important constraint “dirty,” “old,” and “corrupt” politi- for the Opposition parties. The C J cians who were together forming a Patel–owned Fiji Sun and the state- “coalition of the hypocrites” (Baini- owned Fiji Broadcasting Corpora- marama 2014b; fbc, 21 Jan 2014). tion—run by the attorney-general’s FijiFirst was registered in May with brother, Riaz Sayed-Khaiyum—were 40,083 signatures, well in excess of strongly pro-government. Other media the 5,000 required under the Political outlets, particularly the Fiji Times and Parties Decree (Fiji tv News, 5 May Fiji Television, were kept in line by 2014; FijiLive, 19 May 2014). regular harassment through the courts On the campaign trail, Bainima- or by controls over licensing arrange- rama contested claims that his govern- ments (FijiVillage, 27 Nov 2012; ment would undermine security of rnzi, 6 June 2012). Self-censorship native land tenure or dismantle indig- had become endemic, as journalists enous traditional institutions. The adjusted to controls under the 2010 prime minister’s fund-raising meetings Media Industry Development Decree. in Auckland and Sydney in August Early in the campaign, Media were well attended, as were rallies Industry Development Authority held in the towns of western Viti Levu. Chairman Ashwin Raj threatened to In a departure from his usual critical take action against “hate speech” after stance toward the government, Profes- Verata chief Ratu Timoci Vesikula sor Wadan Narsey—an economist publicly appealed to Bainimarama not terminated from the University of the to trust his newfound Fiji-Indian allies South Pacific in obedience to political on the grounds that the two communi- pressures—described Bainimarama on ties were as dissimilar as “kerosene the campaign trail as “like a man pos- and water” (Repúblika 2014). Instead sessed, travelling the length and breath of taking the opportunity to emphasize of Fiji as no previous elected leader FijiFirst’s multiethnic agenda, Baini- has done, addressing local community marama had reportedly sat unmoved needs in education, health, roads, 512 the contemporary pacific • 27:2 (2015) water etc. some of it quite positive for In the run-up to the election, the Fiji’s development,” and speculating government distributed large numbers “who knows, he may be a changed of sewing machines, brush cutters, man in parliament, like Rabuka” and chainsaws mostly to indigenous (Narsey 2014b). ( villagers. New roads around eastern was the 1987 coup leader who later Viti Levu and northern Vanua Levu embraced the 1997 Constitution and cultivated support among those long formed an alliance with the main accustomed to official neglect. Subsi- Fiji-Indian Opposition leader, Jai Ram dized primary education and free bus Reddy.) During the early years of its fares for school children encouraged tenure, the Bainimarama administra- the depiction of the incumbents as a tion had been deeply unpopular within development-oriented administration the ethnic Fijian community. Acutely intent on lifting living standards. aware of this and the fact that ethnic The sodelpa campaign empha- Fijians now formed around 60 percent sized threats to Fijian landownership of the population, the government and the negative experience of many had become adept at micromanaging in the indigenous community during loyalties, through both intimidation the eight years since the December and enticements and by making great 2006 coup. Alongside party leader Ro play of public acquiescence by former Teimumu Kepa (), adversaries (including videos of such other prominent candidates were events posted on YouTube by the also from the traditional chiefly ­Ministry of Information). hierarchy, including the Tui Cakau, Economic recovery after 2010 Ratu ­, from greatly assisted the government’s Cakaudrove. sodelpa was deeply efforts to cultivate support among hostile to the 2013 Constitution and ­former opponents. Gross domestic its declaration of Fiji as a “secular product was estimated to have grown state.” The party wanted to rein- by 4.6 percent in 2013 and by 3.8 state the disbanded Great Council of percent in 2014 (imf 2014, 4). Tax Chiefs and revive the , ­revenue was up 17.3 percent for the a controversial piece of legislation year ending September 2014. Govern- drafted under the Qarase government ment debt levels had declined since and aimed at increasing indigenous 2013 but, if the liabilities of state- incomes accruing from coastal and owned corporations are included, reef areas (sodelpa 2014; rnzi, were still close to 80 percent of gross 22 July 2014). These policy stances domestic product (adb 2014). The appealed largely to older Fijians, but budget deficit stood at 7.8 percent less so to younger and newly enfran- for 2014, according to International chised Fijians. Monetary Fund (imf) estimates, but Bainimarama succeeded in put- this rested on uncertain expectations ting sodelpa on the defensive on key of state asset sales that were to be issues, such as the party’s proposals delayed until after the election (imf to turn Fiji into a “Christian state.” 2014, 5). That budget had given Claims that FijiFirst would privatize substantial pay raises to civil servants. communally held land were countered political reviews • melanesia 513 by highlighting land sales under previ- two-day preelection media blackout ous ethno-nationalist governments, was rigorously enforced. On the main including the Momi Bay and Denarau Election Day itself, polling was con- tourism developments in western Viti ducted reasonably smoothly, but the Levu. A letter circulated to all fifty- announcement of provisional tallies six divisions of the Methodist Church phoned in from the polling stations warning voters not to be “swayed” by was poorly handled. Counting was “the developments carried out” gener- abruptly halted early on 18 Septem- ated a furious reaction by the prime ber and recommenced from scratch, minister (Fiji Sun, 25 Sept 2014; fbc, based instead on the more reliable 25 Sept 2014). official paperwork sent in from the On key issues where the govern- polling venues. Many citizens were left ment was potentially vulnerable, such bewildered, and they were encouraged as government corruption and the in this sentiment by defeated politi- declaration of personal assets required cians’ allegations of malpractice (see under the Political Parties Decree, the report in The Australian, 18 Sept sodelpa failed to put strong pressure 2014). on Bainimarama and cabinet ministers The multinational observer group contesting under the FijiFirst banner. (mog), led by Australia, Indonesia, Critically, this was the first Fiji general and India—eager to offer an early election fought by a mainstream initial verdict and in some cases to indigenous party from a position quickly depart the country—called a in Opposition. In all previous elec- press conference at 4 pm on 18 Sep- tions, the largest ethnic Fijian–backed tember before the full results had offi- party had always campaigned as the cially been announced. The observers incumbent, increasing the likelihood declared the election “credible,” said that potentially dissident areas would that “the conditions were in place for render grudging support. Whenever Fijians to exercise their right to vote out of government, the mainstream freely,” and concluded that the result indigenous party had been returned by was on track to “broadly represent the way of a constitutional crisis (1977) will of the people” (FijiLive, 18 Sept or a coup (in 1987 and 2000). Con- 2014). Aware of the impending mog testing from a position in Opposi- event, the Opposition parties called tion required a set of political skills a rival press conference outside the quite different from those employed counting center at the fmf Dome, also at previous elections, and these were at 4 pm on 18 September, and claimed not easily learned in the run up to the evidence of ballot rigging and electoral September 2014 polls. fraud. One Fiji leader, Filimoni Vosa- Polling took place on a single day, rogo, whose party had secured only 17 September, in contrast to the previ- 1.2 percent of the national vote, failed ous practice of allowing a week for the to turn up at the Opposition press casting of ballots. The task was eased conference. In the days that followed, by “pre-polling” of fifty thousand the initial shock felt at FijiFirst’s voters, mostly those on outer islands landslide victory faded, and the pdp and in isolated parts of the interior. A withdrew from the joint press state- 514 the contemporary pacific • 27:2 (2015) ment (FijiVillage, 22 Sept 2014). The of the vote, while the Western and final Opposition statement contained Central divisions accounted for 79.7 claims of election irregularities (flp- percent. The residual, 1.4 percent, was nfp-sodelpa 2014), but the super- made up of postal ­ballots, of which 55 visor and the chair of the Electoral percent were cast for FijiFirst. Commission competently accounted Parliament was no longer to sit at for most of these (Fijian Electoral the magnificent purpose-built com- Commission 2014; Fiji Times, 21 Sept plex out at Veiuto, the epicenter of 2014). No evidence was presented by George Speight’s failed May 2000 the Opposition showing how alleged coup. Instead, the assembly was to misdemeanors had influenced the be ­relocated to its pre-1987 home in overall result. Ultimately, no disputed Government Buildings in central Suva, returns were lodged with the courts. a shift symbolic of efforts to end the Geographically, support for Fiji- twenty-seven-year-old so-called coup First was reasonably evenly spread culture by returning to the venue across the country, in both urban and where soldiers had first wielded guns rural areas, and in both the poorer to depose an elected government. settlements and richer suburbs (for Bainimarama’s government would more detail, see Fraenkel 2015). Of no longer be conducted by decree the four divisions, sodelpa had but would be constrained to operate majority backing (63.2%) only in the through parliamentary procedure. Eastern Division (covering the Lau It was to prove a difficult transi- and Lomaiviti island groups), despite tion. After the election, Bainimarama a FijiFirst majority on tiny Rotuma spoke—without magnanimity—about (administratively counted as part of meeting again in Parliament with the Eastern Division despite being the “losers” and “liars I met on the in the country’s extreme northwest). campaign trail” (Fiji Sun, 19 Sept sodelpa also had a sizable share 2014; FijiLive, 24 Sept 2014). No of support in the Northern Division olive branch would be extended to the (36.2%), particularly in the rural areas Opposition parties. of Vanua Levu. These are parts of the The new Speaker was , country with relatively small popula- who stood down as a FijiFirst mem- tions, where indigenous villagers are ber of Parliament to take up the post. mostly engaged in subsistence culti- Ro Teimumu Kepa became leader of vation and fishing, and from which the Opposition. The nfp’s Dr Biman there exist high rates of outmigra- Prasad was made shadow finance min- tion to the Suva-Nausori corridor. By ister and chair of the Public Accounts contrast, FijiFirst had 68.8 percent of Committee, tasked with reviewing the the vote in the Western Division and thirty-two auditor-general reports cov- 55.9 percent of the vote in the Central ering 2007–2013 that were published ­Division. These are the most densely soon after the election (oag 2014). populated areas, with the lion’s share Among those reports was evidence of of the country’s formal sector jobs. major expenditures over budget by the Taken together, the Eastern and rfmf and confirmation that ministe- Northern accounted for 18.8 percent rial salaries had for years been paid political reviews • melanesia 515 outside normal channels through Aliz the government would be “keeping an Pacific, an accounting firm owned eye” on Nawaikula and threatened to by Nur Bano Ali, the aunt of the bring him in “for questioning” (fbc, attorney-general (Auditor-General’s 16 Oct 2014; FijiLive, 17 Oct 2014). Report 2010, volume 2, section 4, Use of surveillance technologies page 11; Narsey 2014a; Fraenkel was well known: Vodafone admitted 2012). In the new parliament, Aiyaz to having allowed 760 Fiji phone taps Sayed-Khaiyum would play a prime in 2013 (The Guardian, 6 June 2014). ministerial-style role, as well as serving Public justification of stiffer forms of as attorney-general (a post he only repression had also become a familiar briefly relinquished to part of the political landscape, and but then reassumed within a few days) this did not abate after the election. and holding the portfolios for finance, In 2013, the gruesome torture of two public enterprises, public service, and escaped prisoners by the security communications. Bainimarama would forces was shown in a widely circu- continue to play a more presidential lated video, but—to the horror of role, traveling regularly overseas and Amnesty International—the officers’ touring Fiji on official visits. actions were publicly defended by Parliamentary proceedings were Bainimarama (Amnesty International to be live-streamed on the Internet. 2014). In June 2014, military com- November 2014 was the budget mander Brigadier Tikoitoga justified ­sitting, with the 2015 spending plans beatings of opponents to “stave off pushed through by way of the solid civil disorder” (Tikoitoga, quoted in FijiFirst majority and in the face of a The Age, 20 June 2014). After the sodelpa walkout (Fiji Times, 9 Dec September election, the new police 2014). Disagreement flared over a law commissioner, Ben Groenewald, said to restrict urban land sales to foreign- he was investigating allegations that a ers and—above all—when contrac- sixty-year-old teacher, Josefa Bilitaki, tual disputes meant that the Fijian had been assaulted by army officers. Sevens rugby team’s performance in Bilitaki had allegedly sent angry text Dubai could not be screened live on messages to Bainimarama, claiming national tv. Potential lines of cross- that his songs had been used without party linkage existed, but the consti- authorization in FijiFirst’s campaign tutional provision regarding forfeit of materials (abc, 1 Oct 2014). seats in the event of expulsion could These were not isolated cases or be expected to stiffen party loyalties departures from an otherwise nonvio- into the distant future. Much bad lent ideology. At the October 2014 blood remained. In his maiden speech, postelection budget forum, FijiFirst sodelpa’s said he supporters looked sympathetically “despised” the FijiFirst members of to Lee Kwan Yew’s Singapore as a Parliament, called for another consti- model of an initially impoverished tutional review, and said that failure to and ethnically divided state where do so would constitute “an invitation an “autocratic government” had for another coup” (Hansard, 15 Oct needed “to suspend a large measure of 2014). Bainimarama responded that their [citizens’] freedom” in order to 516 the contemporary pacific • 27:2 (2015) achieve long-run economic develop- high ­commissioners (Kubuabola and ment (Delaibatiki 2014). Bishop 2014). With Parliament once again sit- Not everything on the diplomatic ting, obstacles had been removed to front was plain sailing. Frictions with a full rapprochement with Australia, Papua New Guinea (PNG) continued New Zealand, and the European with a dispute over the selection of Union. Australian Foreign Minister Dame Meg Taylor as the Forum’s new Julie Bishop had visited in February, secretary-general instead of former signaling a warming of relations. After Fiji Foreign Minister Kaliopate Tavola Bainimarama stepped down as rfmf (abc, 7 Aug 2014). “Backstabbed” commander in March, the remaining was the Fiji Sun’s headline (4 Aug travel bans had been dropped, various 2014), echoing claims that PNG Prime aid-funded programs were announced, Minister Peter O’Neill had reneged on and Fiji was to be brought into the a deal with Fiji. Yet even this could Australian seasonal workers’ program not overshadow the pinnacle of Baini- (The Australian, 15 Feb 2014). A marama’s 2014 success in projecting “credible” election had been critical himself as a regional leader. On route for both bilateral and multilateral from the Group of 20 (g20) summit partners, and the standards of what in Brisbane, both Chinese President constituted “credibility” were not Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister too exacting. The Asian Development Narendra Modi visited Fiji at different Bank now promised us$350 million, points in November, hosting summits and the World Bank was also poised in the country also with other Pacific to embark on a new program of Island leaders. Modi addressed the lending, triggering expectations of an new Parliament, though the session economic boom (fbc, 21 Oct 2014). was unwisely boycotted by sodelpa’s The remaining Australian and New fifteen members. Zealand sanctions were now dropped. Commentators speculated that Fiji was readmitted to the Common- the timing of these diplomatic visits wealth and allowed, if it chose to do was triggered by Sino-Indian ten- so, to return to the Pacific Islands sions and claimed that New Delhi felt Forum. “threatened by ’s expanding Earlier, Bainimarama had insisted presence in this Indo-Pacific region” that Fiji would not rejoin the Forum (Balaji Chandramohan, quoted by unless there was a major reorgani­ rnzi, 11 Nov 2014). More plausibly, zation of the Pacific regional archi- Fiji’s heightened diplomatic activity tecture, including the exclusion as on the world stage (including new ­members of Australia and New embassies across the globe, 2013 Zealand. Keen to avoid any dispute, chairmanship of the Group of 77 Australian Foreign Minister Bishop [g77], and the establishment of the proposed a summit to address these Suva-based Pacific Islands Develop- concerns in early 2015. Diplomatic ment Forum; see Firth 2013), as well relations would meanwhile be as the Fiji government’s willingness restored between Canberra and to take an independent stance from Suva, including the exchange of Australia, enhanced its attractive- political reviews • melanesia 517 ness as a stopping-off point in the Arms, David. 2012. Fiji’s Proposed New age of US President Barrack Obama’s Open List pr System: Resolving Some so-called pivot or rebalancing toward Details. Version 3, 26 June. http://crosbiew the Asia-Pacific. Other regional play- .blogspot.com/2012/09/fr-david-arms-on ers too were keen to respond to the -open-list-system.html [accessed 12 March ] perceived heightened geostrategic 2015 significance of Fiji. Also in November, The Australian. Daily newspaper, Sydney. Australia’s defense-funded think tank, http://www.theaustralian.com.au the Australian Strategic Policy Insti- Bainimarama, Voreqe. 2014a. Prime tute, proposed that Canberra fund a Minister Bainimarama’s Speech at the regional peacekeeping center at Black First Commander’s Parade of 2014. Rock Camp in Nadi (The Australian, fbctv News, 20 January. 24 Nov 2014). A succession of senior ———. 2014b. Prime Minister Josaia military officers from Australia, New Voreqe Bainimarama’s Short Response Zealand, and the United States visited to the sodelpa Leader’s Announcement. Fiji in late 2014, eager to rejuve- 10 March. Available at http://www.fiji nate defense linkages now that the .gov.fj/Media-Center/Speeches/PRIME perceived political impediments had -MINISTER-JOSAIA-VOREQE been removed. Fiji thus entered 2015 -BAINIMARAMA-s-SHORT-R.aspx with the context much changed from [accessed 12 March 2015] that at the start of 2014, both on the Delaibatiki, Nemani. 2014. A New Fijian domestic and international fronts, but Economic Model? Fiji Sun, 4 October. it remained a country deeply unsettled. fbc, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. jon fraenkel http://www.fbc.com.fj Fijian Electoral Commission. 2014. Public letter to & One References nfp, flp, pdp, sodelpa Fiji Party, 20 September. abc, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Fiji Government. 2013. Constitution ­www.abc.net.au/ of the Republic of Fiji. Available at ace, The Electoral Knowledge Network. http://www.electionsfiji.gov.fj/wp-content/ 2015. Open, Closed and Free Lists. uploads/2013/09/Constitution-of-the http://aceproject.org/ace-en/topics/es/ -Republic-of-Fiji-.pdf [accessed esd/esd02/esd02e/esd02e03. [accessed 12 March 2015] March ] 12 2015 ———. 2014. Electoral Decree 2014. adb, Asian Development Bank. 2014. 28 March. http://www.electionsfiji.gov.fj/ Pacific Economic Monitor, December. wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Electoral -Decree-2014.pdf [accessed 12 March The Age. Daily newspaper, Melbourne. 2015] http://www.theage.com.au FijiLive. Online news service. fijilive.com/ Amnesty International. 2014. Fiji Fair Play: A Human Rights Agenda. Fiji Sun. Daily. Suva. www.sun.com.fj/ http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ Fiji Times. Daily. Suva. www.fijitimes.com/ ASA18/003/2014/en/68bbca92-0fc8-4af1 -82a1-eeeac3671f95/asa180032014en.pdf Fiji tv News. National television service. [accessed 12 March 2015] Suva. fijione.tv/ 518 the contemporary pacific • 27:2 (2015)

FijiVillage. Online news service. www. Kubuabola, Inoke, and Julie Bishop. fijivillage.com/ 2014. Fiji-Australia: A New Chapter. Joint Statement by the Hon. Foreign Ministers Firth, Stewart. 2013. New Developments of Australia and Fiji. Media release, in the International Relations of the Pacific 31 October. http://www.foreignaffairs.gov Islands. The Journal of Pacific History .fj/media-resources/media-release/756 48 (3): 286–293. -fiji-australia-a-new-chapter [accessed flp-nfp-sodelpa. 2014. Election 2014: 12 March 2015] Interim Report on Irregularities by the Narsey, Wadan. a. The Bombshell Members of the Participating Political 2014 Auditor General Reports for to Parties including the , 2007 . November. http://narseyonfiji National , Social Demo- 2013 6 .wordpress.com/2014/11/06/the cratic Liberal Party. 22 September. -bombshell-auditor-general-reports Copy in author’s files. -for-2007-to-2013-6-nov-2014/ Fraenkel, Jon. 2012. Melanesia in Review: [accessed 12 March 2015] Issues and Events, 2011; Fiji. The Contem- ———. 2014b. Challenges and Options porary Pacific 24:377–389. for the Fiji Public Service Association ———. 2013. Melanesia in Review: Issues in Fiji 2014. Speech at the fpsa Annual and Events, 2012; Fiji. The Contemporary ­General Meeting, Novotel, 15 March. Pacific 25:370–382. https://narseyonfiji.wordpress.com/ 2014/03/26/challenges-and-options-for ———. 2014. Melanesia in Review: Issues -the-fpsa-in-2014-you-shall-overcome and Events, 2013; Fiji. The Contemporary -speech-by-professor-wadan-narsey-at Pacific 26:476–495. -the-fpsa-agm-novotel-15-march-2014/ ———. 2015. An Analysis of Provincial, [accessed 12 March 2015] Urban and Ethnic Loyalties in Fiji’s 2014 oag, Office of the Auditor-General. Election. The Journal of Pacific History 2014. Audit Reports 2007–2013 available 50 (1): 38–53. at http://www.oag.gov.fj/index.php/ The Guardian. Daily. London. component/content/article/2- http://www.theguardian.com/uk uncategorised/66-reports [accessed March ] imf, International Monetary Fund. 2014. 12 2015 2014 Article IV Consultation—Staff pina, Pacific Islands News Association. Report. imf Country Report 14/321. http://www.pina.com.fj November. https://www.imf.org/external/ Repúblika. 2014. Media Authority Ruling pubs/ft/scr/2014/cr14321.pdf [accessed on Hate Speech against Fiji tv. 3 April. 12 March 2015] http://republikamagazine.com/2014/04/ Islands Business. Monthly. Suva. media-industry-development-authority www.islandsbusiness.com/ -ruling-on-hate-speech-against-fiji-tv/ [accessed 12 March 2015] Hansard. 2014. Wednesday, 15th October. http://www.parliament.gov.fj/ rnzi, Radio New Zealand International. getattachment/Hansard/WEDNESDAY www.radionz.co.nz -15TH-OCTOBER-2014.pdf.aspx sodelpa, Social Democratic Liberal Party. [accessed 12 March 2015] 2014. Reclaiming Fiji: The Manifesto High Court of Fiji. 2014. Electoral Com- of sodelpa. 18 July. http://sodelpa.org/ mission v Supervisor of Elections, fjhc SODELPA-Manifesto-LR.pdf [accessed 627; hbc240.2014 (24 Aug 2014). 12 March 2015]