Fiji coup of 2000
Encyclopedia
The Fiji coup
of 2000 was a complicated affair involving a civilian putsch by hardline Fijian
nationalists against the elected government of a non-native (ethnically Indian) Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry
, on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu
Sir Kamisese Mara
to assert executive authority on 27 May, and his own resignation, possibly forced, on 29 May. An interim government headed by Commodore
Frank Bainimarama
was set up, and handed power over to an interim administration headed by Ratu Josefa Iloilo
, as President, on 13 July.
in May 1999, had resulted in a decisive victory for the Peoples Coalition, a multiracial grouping that was dominated by the predominantly Indo-Fijian Labour Party
but which also included three parties supported mainly by indigenous Fijians. Mahendra Chaudhry had become the country's first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister.
The election result and Chaudhry's subsequent appointment as Prime Minister angered hardline Fijian nationalist. His government's hints at land reform caused further alarm. When a group led by George Speight
, a businessman who had been declared bankrupt following the cancellation of several contracts by the Chaudhry government, entered Parliament buildings on 19 May 2000, disaffected elements of the Fijian population rallied to his side. For 56 days, Prime Minister Chaudhry and most of his cabinet, along with many Parliamentarians and their staff, were held as hostages while Speight attempted to negotiate with the President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, who denounced the coup and declared a state of emergency, and with the military administration which took office on 29 May.
On 26 May, fifteen soldiers and two officers defected to the rebels, and, the following day, gunfire was exchanged. In a move that constitutional experts have described as of questionable constitutionality, Mara dismissed the government from office (for being "unable to act") prorogued Parliament for six months, and assumed executive authority himself. In doing so, he claimed to be following the advice of the Chief Justice
, Sir Timoci Tuivaga
, but he refused to abrogate the constitution, which Tuivaga had also advised. Mara admitted that his actions were at the very edge of constitutionality but said he believed they were within that boundary and necessary.
attracted support from certain elements of the Fijian population who were angered by the results of the 1999 election, which had swept away a government dominated by ethnic Fijians and brought to power a multiracial
government led by Mahendra Chaudhry, who became Fiji's first-ever Indo-Fijian Prime Minister. Hints that the Chaudhry government might institute some form of land reform
also generated considerable resentment among sections of the indigenous population, despite Constitution
al guarantees of ethnic Fijian land ownership. Speight thus found sizeable number of sympathizers when he launched his putsch on 19 May.
Speight proceeded to appoint a "Cabinet
". He initially named himself President, before appointing Ratu Jope Seniloli
to the post two days later. Ratu Timoci Silatolu
was appointed Prime Minister, downgraded to Deputy Prime Minister two days later, when Speight himself was named to the post by Seniloli. Other appointments included Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu
as Minister for Fijian Affairs
, Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure
as Minister for Home Affairs, and Simione Kaitani
, Isireli Leweniqila
, Levani Tonitonivanua, Berenado Vunibobo
, Ratu Tu'uakitau Cokanauto
and Ratu Inoke Kubuabola
as Ministers without portfolio. Some, including Seniloli, Lalabalavu, and Vakalalabure have since been convicted of coup-related offences, but whether all of the others had consented to their ministerial "appointments" as announced by Speight is not known.
Claims have been made that Fijian nationalism may have been nothing more than a political ploy to attract supporters to what was, in reality, a personal grab for money and power on the part of Speight and his co-conspirators. During the 1990s, Speight had built up a modestly successful marketing business, but many contracts were lost after the Chaudhry government came to power in 1999. Charging corruption, Chaudhry revoked the contracts of two marketing firms chaired by Speight that were involved in the country's lucrative timber trade. By the time of the coup he was allegedly bankrupt. Several of his accomplices were undischarged bankrupts as well. Conspiracy theories
hold that the real motive for the coup was to loot the treasury. Ratu Isireli Vuibau, the deposed Assistant Minister for Fijian Affairs, declared on 31 August 2000, after the rebellion was over, that many of those involved with Speight had links to the Timber Resource Group, comprising Fijian politicians who were investors in Speight's Timber Resource Management Limited company, which had interests in pine
, mahogany
, and hardwood
. He said these politicians had joined Speight against the government when their proposals were rejected. "Indigenous Fijians were used but little did they know that the coup was for a little group here and abroad," Ratu Vuibau said.
Mahendra Chaudhry has supported the view that ethnic nationalism
was only a mask to gain the support of nationalist Fijians, and that the true purpose was to loot the treasury. He has alleged in court papers and on his party's website that some of those who helped to finance and support certain aspects of the coup, such as the mutiny that took place at the Sukunaivalu Barracks in Labasa
on 7 July 2000, were, in fact, Indo-Fijians. Another view sees the rebellion as one supported by a very disparate group of individuals, all for diverse reasons for their own. It has been alleged that the coup was supported by the Methodist church.
Commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Police Commissioner Isikia Savua
, Great Council of Chiefs Chairman and former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka
(who had instigated two earlier coups
in 1987), and his own son-in-law, Ratu Epeli Ganilau
(a former Army commander) met him and pressed him to abrogate the constitution. He refused, and resigned.
Whether or not Mara's resignation was forced remains (as of 2005) the subject of a police investigation. Some, including Mahendra Chaudhry, believe that he was forcibly deposed. However, Mara's daughter Adi Ateca Ganilau
, who is married to Ratu Ganilau, maintains that her father chose to resign and subsequently refused to be reinstated because he was upset at the abrogation of the constitution.
Almost a year later, Mara publicly accused the police chief, Colonel Isikia Savua and former Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, of instigating the coup. In an interview with Close-Up on Fiji Television
on 29 April 2001, he claimed that Speight (who was then in custody and has since been convicted of treason) was only a front. Mara said that he had confronted Savua and Rabuka two days after the coup about their possible involvement. "I could see it in their faces," said Mara, emphatically rejecting their denials. Mara told the programme that within half an hour of Speight's forcible occupation of the Parliament, Rabuka had telephoned Government House (the official residence of the President) to offer to form a government.
Mara said that he was shocked to learn that the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit
of the Army had been involved in the coup. He alleged that they took George Speight to Parliament, and that their senior officers supplied them with weapons, blankets, and food. Mara also declared that the Counter Revolutionary Warfare officers who joined Speight's coup had trained on a farm owned by Rabuka.
at 6pm. He abrogated the constitution on 30 May, and proceeded to appoint an interim government. He initially nominated Ratu Epeli Nailatikau
(a son-in-law of Mara's and the husband of Adi Koila Nailatikau
, who was one of Speight's hostages) as Prime Minister, but withdrew the nomination the next day. It was not until 4 July that he actually appointed a Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase
(who remained in office until he was ousted from power by another coup in December 2006). Rebels, still holding hostages, staged a number of incidents around the country, cutting off Suva
's power supply on 6 July, and overrunning an army base on Vanua Levu
Island and exchanging fire with the military in Suva the next day.
On 27 July, Aparama Vulavou and Peter Hazelman was arrested along with 369 supporters. The government reneged on the accord granting Speight immunity from prosecution, with Bainimarama saying that the military had signed it "under duress."
declared that the interim government was illegal. Mara remained the lawful President; Parliament had not been dissolved but only suspended, and should now be reconvened, and by implication, Chaudhry remained the lawful Prime Minister. As Mara had not been performing his duties, however, Iloilo had been rightly exercising the prerogatives of the office in his place. Mara subsequently resigned officially, with his resignation backdated to 29 May. The Qarase government appealed the court ruling; on 1 March 2001, the Court of Appeal
confirmed the High Court decision reinstating the constitution. The government accepted the decision.
An estimated 7,500 jobs were lost because of the coup.
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of 2000 was a complicated affair involving a civilian putsch by hardline Fijian
Fijian people
Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown...
nationalists against the elected government of a non-native (ethnically Indian) Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
, on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Sir Kamisese Mara
Kamisese Mara
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, CF, GCMG, KBE is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. He was Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992...
to assert executive authority on 27 May, and his own resignation, possibly forced, on 29 May. An interim government headed by Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Frank Bainimarama
Frank Bainimarama
Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu , is a Fijian naval officer and politician. He is the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and, as of April 2009, Prime Minister...
was set up, and handed power over to an interim administration headed by Ratu Josefa Iloilo
Josefa Iloilo
Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda, CF, MBE, MSD, KStJ was the President of Fiji from 2000 until 2009, excluding a brief period from 5 December 2006 until 4 January 2007 . He held the traditional title of Tui Vuda, the paramount chief of the Vuda district in Ba Province on Fiji's northwest coast...
, as President, on 13 July.
The overthrow of the Chaudhry government
Parliamentary electionsFiji election of 1999
General elections were held in Fiji between 8 and 15 May 1999. They were the first election held under the revised Constitution of 1997, which instituted a new electoral system and resulted in Mahendra Chaudhry taking office as Fiji's first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister.-Electoral system:Previously,...
in May 1999, had resulted in a decisive victory for the Peoples Coalition, a multiracial grouping that was dominated by the predominantly Indo-Fijian Labour Party
Fiji Labour Party
The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...
but which also included three parties supported mainly by indigenous Fijians. Mahendra Chaudhry had become the country's first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister.
George Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, was the principal instigator of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which he kidnapped thirty-six government officials and held them from May 19, 2000 to July 13, 2000...
, a businessman who had been declared bankrupt following the cancellation of several contracts by the Chaudhry government, entered Parliament buildings on 19 May 2000, disaffected elements of the Fijian population rallied to his side. For 56 days, Prime Minister Chaudhry and most of his cabinet, along with many Parliamentarians and their staff, were held as hostages while Speight attempted to negotiate with the President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, who denounced the coup and declared a state of emergency, and with the military administration which took office on 29 May.
On 26 May, fifteen soldiers and two officers defected to the rebels, and, the following day, gunfire was exchanged. In a move that constitutional experts have described as of questionable constitutionality, Mara dismissed the government from office (for being "unable to act") prorogued Parliament for six months, and assumed executive authority himself. In doing so, he claimed to be following the advice of the Chief Justice
Chief Justice (Fiji)
The Chief Justice is Fiji's highest judicial officer. He or she is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, who is required by the Constitution to consult the Leader of the Opposition. This does not give the Leader of the Opposition a veto, only the right to be consulted. ...
, Sir Timoci Tuivaga
Timoci Tuivaga
Sir Timoci Uluiburotu Tuivaga is a Fijian judge, who served as Chief Justice from 1974 to 1 August 2002, when he retired. He was Fiji's first native-born Chief Justice.- Education and career :...
, but he refused to abrogate the constitution, which Tuivaga had also advised. Mara admitted that his actions were at the very edge of constitutionality but said he believed they were within that boundary and necessary.
Alleged motives for the coup
Speight's claims to be a Fijian nationalist and a champion of indigenous rightsIndigenous rights
Indigenous rights are those rights that exist in recognition of the specific condition of the indigenous peoples. This includes not only the most basic human rights of physical survival and integrity, but also the preservation of their land, language, religion and other elements of cultural...
attracted support from certain elements of the Fijian population who were angered by the results of the 1999 election, which had swept away a government dominated by ethnic Fijians and brought to power a multiracial
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
government led by Mahendra Chaudhry, who became Fiji's first-ever Indo-Fijian Prime Minister. Hints that the Chaudhry government might institute some form of land reform
Land reform
[Image:Jakarta farmers protest23.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Farmers protesting for Land Reform in Indonesia]Land reform involves the changing of laws, regulations or customs regarding land ownership. Land reform may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed property redistribution,...
also generated considerable resentment among sections of the indigenous population, despite Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
al guarantees of ethnic Fijian land ownership. Speight thus found sizeable number of sympathizers when he launched his putsch on 19 May.
Speight proceeded to appoint a "Cabinet
Cabinet (Fiji)
Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime...
". He initially named himself President, before appointing Ratu Jope Seniloli
Jope Seniloli
Ratu Jope Naucabalavu Seniloli is a Fijian chief who holds the title of Turaga Taukei Naua and who served as Fiji's Vice-President from 25 March 2001 to 29 November 2004, when he was forced to resign following his conviction for treason on August 6 2004, and the rejection of his appeal early in...
to the post two days later. Ratu Timoci Silatolu
Timoci Silatolu
Timoci Qiolevu Silatolu, sometimes known by his chiefly title of Ratu, is a former Fijian politician.- Political career :As a candidate of the Fijian Association Party, Silatolu was elected to represent the Rewa Fijian Communal Constituency in the House of Representatives in the general election of...
was appointed Prime Minister, downgraded to Deputy Prime Minister two days later, when Speight himself was named to the post by Seniloli. Other appointments included Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu
Naiqama Lalabalavu
Ratu Naiqama Tawake Lalabalavu is a Fijian Paramount Chief and politician. He was the Minister for Lands and Minister for Mineral Resources in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, prior to his resignation on 7 April 2005...
as Minister for Fijian Affairs
Minister for Fijian Affairs
The Minister for Fijian Affairs is the Cabinet Minister responsible for the preservation of Fijian culture and for the economic and social development of indigenous Fijians. Prior to 1999, the Minister for Fijian Affairs also presided over the Great Council of Chiefs, but since then the Great...
, Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure
Rakuita Vakalalabure
Ratu Rakuita Saurara Vakalalabure is a Fijian lawyer and politician. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 and following the elections after the 2000 political uphevals was a candidate of the Conservative Alliance...
as Minister for Home Affairs, and Simione Kaitani
Simione Kaitani
Simione Kaitani is a Fijian politician, who currently serves as Leader of the House, and as such is responsible for the conduct of government business in the House of Representatives. He was previously a Cabinet Minister from 2001 to 2006, serving initially as Minister for Transport and Civil...
, Isireli Leweniqila
Isireli Leweniqila
Isireli Leweniqila is a Fijian politician, who currently serves in the Cabinet as Minister for Information and Communications.- Biography :A former businessman and farmer, Isireli Leweniqila is the son of the veteran politician, Militoni Leweniqila....
, Levani Tonitonivanua, Berenado Vunibobo
Berenado Vunibobo
Berenado Vunibobo was Fiji's permanent representative to the United Nations from 1976–1980 and from 2008–2010, and Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Co-operation and Civil Aviation 1997-1998. During his second term, he represented the unelected Fiji government led by Commodore Voreqe...
, Ratu Tu'uakitau Cokanauto
Tu'uakitau Cokanauto
Ratu Tu'uakitau George Cokanauto is a Fijian chief and politician. He is the scion of a distinguished family, as a son of Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau , and brother of the Parliamentary Speaker, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau.- The 1999 election and aftermath :In the parliamentary election of 1999,...
and Ratu Inoke Kubuabola
Inoke Kubuabola
Ratu Inoke Kubuabola is a Fijian politician who served as Leader of the Opposition in 1999 and 2000. He became leader of the Fijian Political Party following its defeat in the 1999 election and the subsequent resignation of its leader, the defeated Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, from Parliament...
as Ministers without portfolio. Some, including Seniloli, Lalabalavu, and Vakalalabure have since been convicted of coup-related offences, but whether all of the others had consented to their ministerial "appointments" as announced by Speight is not known.
Claims have been made that Fijian nationalism may have been nothing more than a political ploy to attract supporters to what was, in reality, a personal grab for money and power on the part of Speight and his co-conspirators. During the 1990s, Speight had built up a modestly successful marketing business, but many contracts were lost after the Chaudhry government came to power in 1999. Charging corruption, Chaudhry revoked the contracts of two marketing firms chaired by Speight that were involved in the country's lucrative timber trade. By the time of the coup he was allegedly bankrupt. Several of his accomplices were undischarged bankrupts as well. Conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
hold that the real motive for the coup was to loot the treasury. Ratu Isireli Vuibau, the deposed Assistant Minister for Fijian Affairs, declared on 31 August 2000, after the rebellion was over, that many of those involved with Speight had links to the Timber Resource Group, comprising Fijian politicians who were investors in Speight's Timber Resource Management Limited company, which had interests in pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
, and hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
. He said these politicians had joined Speight against the government when their proposals were rejected. "Indigenous Fijians were used but little did they know that the coup was for a little group here and abroad," Ratu Vuibau said.
Mahendra Chaudhry has supported the view that ethnic nationalism
Ethnic nationalism
Ethnic nationalism is a form of nationalism wherein the "nation" is defined in terms of ethnicity. Whatever specific ethnicity is involved, ethnic nationalism always includes some element of descent from previous generations and the implied claim of ethnic essentialism, i.e...
was only a mask to gain the support of nationalist Fijians, and that the true purpose was to loot the treasury. He has alleged in court papers and on his party's website that some of those who helped to finance and support certain aspects of the coup, such as the mutiny that took place at the Sukunaivalu Barracks in Labasa
Labasa
Labasa is a town in Fiji with a population of 27,949 at the most recent census held in 2007.Labasa is located in Macuata Province, in the north-eastern part of the island of Vanua Levu, and is the largest town on the island. The town itself is located on a delta formed by three rivers - the...
on 7 July 2000, were, in fact, Indo-Fijians. Another view sees the rebellion as one supported by a very disparate group of individuals, all for diverse reasons for their own. It has been alleged that the coup was supported by the Methodist church.
The resignation of President Mara
Two days later, on 29 May 2000, Mara resigned under circumstances of debate. Following orchestrated threats to his life and his family, he was evacuated to a naval vessel where a delegation including Armed ForcesMilitary of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...
Commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Police Commissioner Isikia Savua
Isikia Savua
Isikia Rabici Savua was a senior Fijian diplomat, who had a distinguished career in the Military and police forces before taking up his last post as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations on 4 March 2003.- Career :Savua spent 18 years in the Fijian army, which he joined on...
, Great Council of Chiefs Chairman and former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka
Sitiveni Rabuka
Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999...
(who had instigated two earlier coups
Fiji coups of 1987
The Fiji coups of 1987 resulted in the overthrow of the elected government of Fijian Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra, the deposition of Elizabeth II as Queen of Fiji, and in the declaration of a republic...
in 1987), and his own son-in-law, Ratu Epeli Ganilau
Epeli Ganilau
Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Ganilau, MC, MSD, is a Fijian soldier and statesman, who currently heads the National Alliance Party of Fiji. His career has previously encompassed such roles as Commander of the Fiji Military Forces and Chairman of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga...
(a former Army commander) met him and pressed him to abrogate the constitution. He refused, and resigned.
Whether or not Mara's resignation was forced remains (as of 2005) the subject of a police investigation. Some, including Mahendra Chaudhry, believe that he was forcibly deposed. However, Mara's daughter Adi Ateca Ganilau
Ateca Ganilau
Adi Ateca Moce Ganilau is a Fijian public figure, best known as the eldest daughter of the former Prime Minister and President, the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.- Opposition to government legislation :...
, who is married to Ratu Ganilau, maintains that her father chose to resign and subsequently refused to be reinstated because he was upset at the abrogation of the constitution.
Almost a year later, Mara publicly accused the police chief, Colonel Isikia Savua and former Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, of instigating the coup. In an interview with Close-Up on Fiji Television
Fiji Television
Fiji Television Limited is Fiji's television network. It was founded on 15 June 1994 as the first permanent television broadcasting network in the country, although television had previously been introduced temporarily in October 1991 to broadcast the Rugby World Cup as well as Cricket World Cup....
on 29 April 2001, he claimed that Speight (who was then in custody and has since been convicted of treason) was only a front. Mara said that he had confronted Savua and Rabuka two days after the coup about their possible involvement. "I could see it in their faces," said Mara, emphatically rejecting their denials. Mara told the programme that within half an hour of Speight's forcible occupation of the Parliament, Rabuka had telephoned Government House (the official residence of the President) to offer to form a government.
Mara said that he was shocked to learn that the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit
Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (Fiji)
The Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit or CRWU was the common name for the First Meridian Squadron, the unit's formal name, which had been disbanded in 2000...
of the Army had been involved in the coup. He alleged that they took George Speight to Parliament, and that their senior officers supplied them with weapons, blankets, and food. Mara also declared that the Counter Revolutionary Warfare officers who joined Speight's coup had trained on a farm owned by Rabuka.
The Interim Military Government
Commodore Bainimarama announced on radio and television that he had taken over the government, and declared martial lawMartial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
at 6pm. He abrogated the constitution on 30 May, and proceeded to appoint an interim government. He initially nominated Ratu Epeli Nailatikau
Epeli Nailatikau
Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, CF, LVO, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is a Fijian chief and the current President of Fiji. He has had a long career in the Military, diplomatic service, and government...
(a son-in-law of Mara's and the husband of Adi Koila Nailatikau
Koila Nailatikau
Adi Koila Mara Nailatikau is a Fijian lawyer, who has served as a diplomat and politician.- Family background :Vasemaca Koila Josephine Mara was born in 1953...
, who was one of Speight's hostages) as Prime Minister, but withdrew the nomination the next day. It was not until 4 July that he actually appointed a Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase is a Fijian political figure. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase joined the Interim Military Government as a financial adviser on 9 June 2000, until his appointment...
(who remained in office until he was ousted from power by another coup in December 2006). Rebels, still holding hostages, staged a number of incidents around the country, cutting off Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
's power supply on 6 July, and overrunning an army base on Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu , formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located 64 kilometres to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of 5,587.1 km² and a population of some 130,000.- Geography :...
Island and exchanging fire with the military in Suva the next day.
The Iloilo administration
The interim military government signed an accord with Speight on 9 July, granting him immunity from prosecution and a review of the constitution in return for the release of the hostages. Nine were freed on 12 July, and the others, including Chaudhry, on the 13th. Ratu Josefa Iloilo was sworn in as President the same day, with Ratu Jope Seniloli as Vice-President. The appointment of Seniloli, a supporter of the rebels who had sworn himself in as President at Speight's behest, was seen as a gesture of appeasement to the rebel forces.On 27 July, Aparama Vulavou and Peter Hazelman was arrested along with 369 supporters. The government reneged on the accord granting Speight immunity from prosecution, with Bainimarama saying that the military had signed it "under duress."
The Queen Elizabeth Barracks mutiny
A second attempt by hardline elements to seize power took place on 2 November that year, when rebel soldiers mutinied at Suva's Queen Elizabeth Barracks. The mutiny resulted in the death of four loyal soldiers. Four rebels were subsequently beaten to death after the mutiny had been quelled. Bainimarama accused Rabuka of involvement, but as of April 2005, Rabuka has not been charged.Aftermath
On 15 November, the High CourtHigh Court (Fiji)
The High Court of Fiji is one of three courts established by Chapter 9 of the Constitution of Fiji—the others being the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The Constitution empowers Parliament to create other courts; these are subordinate to the High Court, which is authorized to oversee all...
declared that the interim government was illegal. Mara remained the lawful President; Parliament had not been dissolved but only suspended, and should now be reconvened, and by implication, Chaudhry remained the lawful Prime Minister. As Mara had not been performing his duties, however, Iloilo had been rightly exercising the prerogatives of the office in his place. Mara subsequently resigned officially, with his resignation backdated to 29 May. The Qarase government appealed the court ruling; on 1 March 2001, the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal (Fiji)
The Court of Appeal of Fiji is one of three courts established by Chapter 9 of the Constitution, the others being the High Court and the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeal was a new institution established when the 1997 Constitution came into effect; the other two courts predated it...
confirmed the High Court decision reinstating the constitution. The government accepted the decision.
An estimated 7,500 jobs were lost because of the coup.