Jope Seniloli
Encyclopedia
Ratu
Jope Naucabalavu Seniloli (born 1939) is a Fiji
an 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 November.
which deposed the lawfully elected government of President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
and Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry
. The August 6, 2004 verdict found Seniloli guilty of unlawfully proclaiming himself President during the coup, and of illegally swearing in cabinet ministers
, including George Speight
, the chief instigator of the coup, as Prime Minister. Seniloli's lawyer, Mehboob Raza, maintained that he had done so only "under duress," at gunpoint, a defence rejected by High Court
Justice Nazhat Shameem
, who agreed with the state prosecutor that Seniloli had known of the coup plot in advance and had deliberately aided and abetted it. Shameem said that she had originally intended to sentence Seniloli to six years' imprisonment, but had opted for a four-year sentence instead, taking account of his many years of service to Fiji, including thirty-three years as a schoolteacher.
Along with Seniloli, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
, Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure
, and three other defendants, were sentenced to terms of between one and six years for the same offence.
In a controversial move, Attorney-General Qoriniasi Bale
announced on 29 November 2004 that he had decided to release Seniloli from prison on medical grounds, a decision which angered the Labour Party
. "The FLP is outraged by the jailed VP’s early release from prison," declared Senator
Jokapeci Koroi
, the national president of the Labour Party. "This is nothing but a conspiracy by the Government to save those who are in positions of power." Koroi called the release of Seniloli, who had served less than four months of his four year term, an "act of defiance to subvert the course of justice and the rule of law."
were also displeased, and took what was widely seen as an extraordinary step by issuing a public statement. Captain Neumi Leweni
of the Royal Fiji Military Forces media cell called the early release "an insult to our sense of justice and the rule of law" and a "riot." "We are falling fast into the abyss and if nothing is done about this quickly, we will continue falling, never to recover," Leweni said. He and other senior military said they believed the release of Ratu Jope was a political ploy to gain the support of "the same type of people who gathered in droves at the parliamentary complex in 2000" - a reference to the supporters of the coup. The officers predicted that if the Attorney General was not reined in quickly, there could be "a return to the mayhem of 2000." Leweni's judgement that Ratu Seniloli's release threatened national security was subsequently backed up by Commodore Frank Bainimarama
, the Commander of the Armed Forces.
Joji Kotobalavu
, a spokesman for Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase
, rejected the criticism and said that the military had acted improperly by issuing a political statement. The senior officers should have notified the Home Affairs Ministry of their feelings privately, he said, adding that by publicly airing their opinions, the military was creating a climate of "uncertainty," leading people to wonder whether the government or the military was running the country.
Ratu Seniloli's early release was coupled with his resignation from office. Although not stated, this was believed to be a condition of his release. A government spokesman said that Ratu Seniloli would receive a pension equivalent to 30 percent of his Vice-Presidential salary.
By law, prisoners are not eligible for release until half their sentence has been served, but a special case was made for Seniloli due to the poor state of his health. He was released into "compulsory supervision," under which he is required to report daily to the police, and is not allowed to change his address or travel outside of Fiji without permission.
assigns a purely ceremonial role to the Vice-President, with one important exception: he assumes the powers and duties of the Presidency in the event of the President being unable to carry out his duties. With the 84-year old President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo
suffering from Parkinson's Disease
and requiring frequent visits to Australia for medical treatment, the resignation of the Vice-President left Fiji with no one to take Iloilo's place should he become incapacitated, and the appointment of a successor was considered a priority. On 15 December 2004, the Great Council of Chiefs
approved President Iloilo's choice of Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi
as the new Vice-President.
On 16 February 2006, the Fiji Village
news service claimed that some Tailevu
chiefs were quietly campaigning for the Great Council of Chiefs
to reinstate Seniloli as Vice-President. The Council was due to meet as an electoral college on 8 March to choose the President and Vice-President, whose terms were due to expire. Without naming Seniloli, the Military expressed its opposition to any coup-convict being appointed President or Vice-President. Seniloli himself, however, revealed to Fiji Village on 22 February that as he was still technically serving his prison sentence extramurally, he was not eligible for reinstatement.
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"...
Jope Naucabalavu Seniloli (born 1939) is a Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an chief
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"...
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
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
on August 6 2004, and the rejection of his appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
early in November.
Appointment and subsequent trial
Seniloli was appointed Vice-President in 2000 as an apparent gesture of appeasement towards the supporters of the 2000 coupFiji coup of 2000
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 Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to assert executive authority on 27 May, and...
which deposed the lawfully elected government of President Ratu 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...
and Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
. The August 6, 2004 verdict found Seniloli guilty of unlawfully proclaiming himself President during the coup, and of illegally swearing in cabinet ministers
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...
, including George Speight
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...
, the chief instigator of the coup, as Prime Minister. Seniloli's lawyer, Mehboob Raza, maintained that he had done so only "under duress," at gunpoint, a defence rejected by High Court
High 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...
Justice Nazhat Shameem
Nazhat Shameem
Nazhat Shameem is a former Fiji Indian judge.She was appointed to the bench in 1999 as Fiji's first, and 2007 so far only, Indo-Fijian female High Court judge...
, who agreed with the state prosecutor that Seniloli had known of the coup plot in advance and had deliberately aided and abetted it. Shameem said that she had originally intended to sentence Seniloli to six years' imprisonment, but had opted for a four-year sentence instead, taking account of his many years of service to Fiji, including thirty-three years as a schoolteacher.
Along with Seniloli, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
House of Representatives (Fiji)
The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fiji's Parliament. It is the more powerful of the two chambers; it alone has the power to initiate legislation...
, 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...
, and three other defendants, were sentenced to terms of between one and six years for the same offence.
In a controversial move, Attorney-General Qoriniasi Bale
Qoriniasi Bale
Qoriniasi Babitu Bale is a lawyer and political leader, who has served twice as Fiji's Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, most recently from 2001 to 2006, when he was deposed in the military coup of 5 December...
announced on 29 November 2004 that he had decided to release Seniloli from prison on medical grounds, a decision which angered the 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...
. "The FLP is outraged by the jailed VP’s early release from prison," declared Senator
Senate (Fiji)
The Senate of Fiji is the upper chamber of Parliament. It is the less powerful of the two chambers; it may not initiate legislation, but may amend or veto it. The Senate's powers over financial bills are more restricted: it may veto them in their entirety, but may not amend them...
Jokapeci Koroi
Jokapeci Koroi
Jokapeci Talei Koroi was a Fijian politician. She was currently the President of the Fiji Labour Party and a Senator. She was appointed to the Senate in 2002 as one of 8 nominees of the Leader of the Opposition, Mahendra Chaudhry....
, the national president of the Labour Party. "This is nothing but a conspiracy by the Government to save those who are in positions of power." Koroi called the release of Seniloli, who had served less than four months of his four year term, an "act of defiance to subvert the course of justice and the rule of law."
Reaction to release
The military 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...
were also displeased, and took what was widely seen as an extraordinary step by issuing a public statement. Captain Neumi Leweni
Neumi Leweni
Neumi Leweni is a Fijian Army officer and diplomat, who holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He hails from the Lau Islands. He joined the Military in 1974 and by 2006 was one of two official spokesmen for the Military, the other being Lieutenant Colonel Orisi Rabukawaqa. In August 2007, he...
of the Royal Fiji Military Forces media cell called the early release "an insult to our sense of justice and the rule of law" and a "riot." "We are falling fast into the abyss and if nothing is done about this quickly, we will continue falling, never to recover," Leweni said. He and other senior military said they believed the release of Ratu Jope was a political ploy to gain the support of "the same type of people who gathered in droves at the parliamentary complex in 2000" - a reference to the supporters of the coup. The officers predicted that if the Attorney General was not reined in quickly, there could be "a return to the mayhem of 2000." Leweni's judgement that Ratu Seniloli's release threatened national security was subsequently backed up by Commodore 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...
, the Commander of the Armed Forces.
Joji Kotobalavu
Joji Kotobalavu
Jioji Kotobalavu was Fiji civil servant. He was the Chief Executive Officer in the Prime Minister's office, but was dismissed on 7 December 2006 by the military junta which had seized power on 5 December. He received his formal notice of dismissal on 13 December.Kotobalavu was a career civil...
, a spokesman for 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...
, rejected the criticism and said that the military had acted improperly by issuing a political statement. The senior officers should have notified the Home Affairs Ministry of their feelings privately, he said, adding that by publicly airing their opinions, the military was creating a climate of "uncertainty," leading people to wonder whether the government or the military was running the country.
Ratu Seniloli's early release was coupled with his resignation from office. Although not stated, this was believed to be a condition of his release. A government spokesman said that Ratu Seniloli would receive a pension equivalent to 30 percent of his Vice-Presidential salary.
By law, prisoners are not eligible for release until half their sentence has been served, but a special case was made for Seniloli due to the poor state of his health. He was released into "compulsory supervision," under which he is required to report daily to the police, and is not allowed to change his address or travel outside of Fiji without permission.
Vice-President's constitutional role
The Fijian ConstitutionConstitution of Fiji
The 1997 Constitution of Fiji was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009 when President Josefa Iloilo purported to abrogate it. It was also suspended for a period following the 2000 coup d'état led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama....
assigns a purely ceremonial role to the Vice-President, with one important exception: he assumes the powers and duties of the Presidency in the event of the President being unable to carry out his duties. With the 84-year old President, 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...
suffering from Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
and requiring frequent visits to Australia for medical treatment, the resignation of the Vice-President left Fiji with no one to take Iloilo's place should he become incapacitated, and the appointment of a successor was considered a priority. On 15 December 2004, the Great Council of Chiefs
Great Council of Chiefs (Fiji)
The Great Council of Chiefs is a now dormant 1997 constitutional body in the Republic of the Fiji Islands. In April 2007 the council was suspended, due to an unworkable relationship with Frank Bainimarama, leader of an "interim government" which came to power through a military coup in December 2006...
approved President Iloilo's choice of Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi
Joni Madraiwiwi
Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi is a Fijian lawyer, politician and was the Vice-President of Fiji from 2004 to 2006. He was sworn in on 10 January 2005, following his nomination by President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo and his subsequent approval by the Great Council of Chiefs on 15 December 2004...
as the new Vice-President.
Comeback in 2006?
- See main article: Fiji presidential election, 2006Fiji presidential election, 2006Elections to the offices of President and Vice-President of Fiji took place on 8 March 2006, when the Great Council of Chiefs met as an electoral college at the Tradewinds Convention Centre in Lami...
On 16 February 2006, the Fiji Village
Fiji Village
The Fiji Village is an online news service in Fiji. Published daily, it covers political, business, sporting, cultural, and other news items, and also includes the Yellow Bucket commentary, an editorial which does not necessarily reflect the views of the Fiji Village owners or staff, according to...
news service claimed that some Tailevu
Tailevu
Tailevu is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji. One of eight Provinces based in Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island, its 755 square kilometers occupy the south-eastern fringe of the island, along with some central areas. At the 2007 census, the most recent to date, it had a population of 55,692, the...
chiefs were quietly campaigning for the Great Council of Chiefs
Great Council of Chiefs (Fiji)
The Great Council of Chiefs is a now dormant 1997 constitutional body in the Republic of the Fiji Islands. In April 2007 the council was suspended, due to an unworkable relationship with Frank Bainimarama, leader of an "interim government" which came to power through a military coup in December 2006...
to reinstate Seniloli as Vice-President. The Council was due to meet as an electoral college on 8 March to choose the President and Vice-President, whose terms were due to expire. Without naming Seniloli, the Military expressed its opposition to any coup-convict being appointed President or Vice-President. Seniloli himself, however, revealed to Fiji Village on 22 February that as he was still technically serving his prison sentence extramurally, he was not eligible for reinstatement.