The 2006 MiliTary Takeover in FiJi a Coup to end all Coups? The 2006 MiliTary Takeover in FiJi a Coup to end all Coups? Jon Fraenkel, Stewart Firth and Brij V. Lal (eds) State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Program Studies in State and Society in the Pacific, No. 4 Published by ANU E Press The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at: http://epress.anu.edu.au/coup_coup_citation.html National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Title: The 2006 military takeover in Fiji: a coup to end all coups? / editors, Stewart Firth, Jon Fraenkel, Brij V. Lal. ISBN: 9781921536502 (pbk.) 9781921536519 (pdf) Notes: Includes index. Subjects: Government, Resistance to--Fiji. Fiji--History--21st century. Fiji--Politics and government--21st century. Other Authors/Contributors: Firth, Stewart, 1944- Fraenkel, Jonathan. Lal, Brij V. Dewey Number: 996.11 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design by Annie Di Nallo Design Copy editing by Wendy Tubman Cover photograph of Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka: Ian Mackley [ca 29 May 1987], reference number: EP/1987/2601. Dominion Post Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. Cover photographs of George Speight and Commodore Frank Bainimarama: AAP/AFP/ Torsten Blackwood. Printed by University Printing Services, ANU This edition © 2009 ANU E Press Table of Contents Acronyms and abbreviations vii Authors’ biographies xi Introduction 1. The enigmas of Fiji’s good governance coup 3 Jon Fraenkel and Stewart Firth The coup 2. ‘Anxiety, uncertainty and fear in our land’: Fiji’s road to 21 military coup, 2006, Brij V. Lal 3. Fiji’s December 2006 coup: Who, what, where and why?, 43 Jon Fraenkel 4. ‘This process of political readjustment’: The aftermath of the 67 2006 Fiji Coup, Brij V. Lal Themes 5. The changing role of the Great Council of Chiefs, Robert Norton 97 6. The Fiji military and ethno-nationalism: Analyzing the paradox, 117 Stewart Firth and Jon Fraenkel 7. Swim or sink: The post-coup economy in limbo, Satish Chand 139 8. The great roadmap charade: Electoral issues in post-coup Fiji, 155 Jon Fraenkel Religion 9. Religion and politics: The Christian churches and the 2006 coup 187 in Fiji, Lynda Newland 10. The good, the bad and the faithful: The response by Indian 209 religious groups, Jonathon Prasad Labour 11. Heading for the scrap heap of history? The consequences of 237 the coup for the Fiji labour movement, Vijay Naidu 12. The Fiji nurses’ strike, Kuini Lutua 253 v Fiji’s 2006 Military Takeover Media 13. The Fiji coup six months on: The role of the media, 267 Samisoni Pareti 14. State control and self-censorship in the media after the coup, 277 Russell Hunter Law and the constitution 15. The impact of the coup on Fiji’s judiciary, Graham Leung 291 16. The erosion of judicial independence, Graham Leung 301 17. The rule of law and judicial independence amidst the coups 311 and attempted coups in Fiji since 1987, Tupou Draunidalo 18. The coup d’état and the Fiji Human Rights Commission, 321 Noel Cox Perspectives 19. The People’s Charter: For or against?, Wadan Narsey 339 20. ‘Democracy’ versus good governance, Mahendra P. Chaudhry 343 21. From fear and turmoil to the possibilities of hope and 353 renewal once again, Laisenia Qarase 22. Resolving the current crisis in Fiji – a personal perspective, 375 Jioji Kotobalavu 23. Mythic constitutionalism: Whither Fiji’s course in June 2007?, 385 Joni Madraiwiwi 24. Creating a stable Fiji, Joni Madraiwiwi 393 25. Making votes count: The need for electoral reform, 397 Rev. Akuila Yabaki 26. The impact of Fiji’s 2006 coup on human and women’s rights, 405 Virisila Buadromo 27. Reflections on Fiji’s ‘coup culture’,Sandra Tarte 409 28. Fijian Ethno-Nationalism, Jone R. Baledrokadroka 415 29. Ethno-Nationalism and the People’s Charter, Jone Dakuvula 419 Conclusions 30. One hand clapping: Reflections on the first anniversary of 425 Fiji’s 2006 coup, Brij V. Lal 31. Fiji’s Coup Syndrome, Jon Fraenkel and Stewart Firth 449 vi Index 459 Acronyms and abbreviations ACCF Assembly of Christian Churches in Fiji ADB Asian Development Bank ALTA Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Act ALTO Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Ordinance APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APS Arya Prathinidi Sabha AV Alternative vote BLV Bose Levu Vakaturaga (Great Council of Chiefs ± GCC) CAMV Conservative Alliance±Matanitu Vanua CCF Citizens© Constitutional Forum CEO Chief Executive Officer COLA Cost of Living Allowance CPSU Confederation of Public Service Unions CRW Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit DIL Duavata Initiative Limited ECREA Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education and Advocacy EPG Eminent Persons Group EU European Union FCC Fiji Council of Churches FCGA Fiji Cane Growers Association FDI Foreign Direct Investment FHRC Fiji Human Rights Commission FIC Forum Island Country FICAC Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption FICTU Fiji Islands Council of Trade Unions FIRCA Fiji Islands Revenue and Customs Authority FLP Fiji Labour Party FLS Fiji Law Society FML Fiji Muslim League FNA Fiji Nursing Association FNP Fijian Nationalist Party FNPF Fiji National Provident Fund FPEU Fiji Public Employees Union FPSA Fiji Public Service Association FTA Fiji Teachers Association vii The 2006 Military Takeover in Fiji FTU Fiji Teachers Union FTUC Fiji Trade Union Congress GCC Great Council of Chiefs (Bose Levu Vakaturaga) GDI Gross Domestic Income GDP Gross Domestic Product ICT Information and Communications Technology ICFTU International Confederation of Free Trade Unions ILO International Labor Organization IRF Industrial Relations Framework JSC Judicial Services Commission MFA Multi-Fibre Arrangement MFO Multinational Forces and Observers MP Member of Parliament MSG Melanesian Spearhead Group NAPF National Alliance Party of Fiji NCBBF National Council for Building a Better Fiji NFP National Federation Party NFU National Farmers Union NGO Non-Governmental Organization PIF Pacific Islands Forum PSC Public Service Commission NLTB Native Land Trust Board QEB Queen Elizabeth Barracks RAMSI Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands RFMF Republic of Fiji Military Forces RBF Reserve Bank of Fiji RTU Bill Promotion of Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill SAS Special Air Service SDL Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua SCGC Sugar Cane Growers Council SPARTECA South Pacific Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement SSDPS Shree Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha SVT Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei TCF Textiles, Clothing and Footwear TI Transparency International UGP United Generals Party UN United Nations viii Acronyms and abbreviations UNIFIL United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon VAT Value Added Tax UNAMI United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq VCSA Viti Civil Servants Association VLV Veitokani ni Lewenivanua Vakarisito Throughout this book, in accordance with common usage, the term `the Promotion of Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill' has been abbreviated to `the RTU Bill'. Note also that, throughout this book, different authors use different terms to describe those descended from the Indian subcontinent. No attempt has been made to standardize usage. ix Authors’ biographies Colonel Jone Baledrokadroka is a long-serving officer in the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. He has a Masters in Strategic Studies from Deakin University Australia and a post graduate diploma in Strategic and Defence Studies from University of Malaya. He has served overseas on United Nations peacekeeping missions and commanded the troops which put down the attempted mutiny of November 2000. He was promoted to Acting Land Forces Commander in January 2006, but was subsequently relieved of his command after urging the RFMF Commander to halt confrontation with the Qarase government. He comes from Naitasiri on Viti Levu and attended the Marist Brothers School in Suva. Virisila Buadromo is Executive Director of the Fiji Women's Rights Movement. She was formerly a journalist working for the FM96 radio station. Satish Chand is a Professor of Economics at the Australian Defence Force Academy. He is also the Director of the Pacific Policy Project, which undertakes policy-relevant research on Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. Originally from Fiji, Satish has a PhD in Economics from the ANU and has published on international trade, economic growth, labour markets, and development. Mahendra Chaudhry is leader of the Fiji Labour Party. He was Fiji's first Prime Minister of Indian descent, until being overthrown in the coup of 19 May 2000 and kept in captivity for 56 days. Upon appointment of the interim government in January 2007, he became Minister of Finance, Sugar Reform, Public Enterprise and National Planning, but he and his labour colleagues resigned from the government in August 2008. Noel Cox is Professor of Constitutional Law and Head of the Department of Law at the Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, and a Barrister of the High Court of New Zealand. His main fields of research are public law, and technological challenges to the law. Jone Dakuvula works for the National Council for Building a Better Fiji Technical Secretariat, and comes from the vanua of Natewa in Cakaudrove Province on Vanua Levu. During the 1990s he served as Chief Assistant Secretary and Press Secretary to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and later worked for the Citizens' Constitutional Forum. He appeared on a Close Up television programme on Fiji TV shortly after the 19 May 2000 coup, denouncing its perpetrators. As a result, a mob rampaged through Suva's streets and smashed up the television station. Tupou Draunidalo is a Fijian lawyer and a former Vice President of the Fiji Law Society. She is the daughter of 1999-2000 Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Adi Kuini Vuikaba Speed and former Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua cabinet xi The 2006 Military Takeover in Fiji minister, Savenaca Draunidalo.