Military opposition to the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill (Fiji)
Encyclopedia
Commodore
Frank Bainimarama
, Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces
, has been a vociferous and uncompromising critic of the government's proposal to establish a Reconciliation and Unity Commission
, with the power to grant compensation to victims of the 2000 coup, and amnesty to perpetrators of it. Among other objections, the Military claims that its integrity and discipline would be undermined if soldiers who mutinied in the 2000 upheaval were to be pardoned.
The military's opposition to the Bill culminated in a coup d'état in December 2006
.
Bainimarama was supported by Army spokesman Captain Neumi Leweni
, who said on 16 May that a meeting of senior officers had resolved to try to prevent the passage of the legislation. "We are not in favour of the Bill that proposes to offer amnesty for coup perpetrators in 2000, and will do all we can to oppose it," Leweni said.
Bainimarama said on 1 June that having undergone three coups
in eighteen years, Fiji could not be compared to other commonwealth countries. He said this in response to claims by Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola that Fiji was the only country in the Commonwealth of Nations
whose Military commander dared to oppose government policy. Bainimarama revused refused to say what the military would do if the government insisted on passing the bill, saying that they would cross that bridge when they came to it.
Tensions escalated after 4 June, when Bainimarama publicly accused Prime Minister Qarase of having snubbed a military parade the previous day, in honour of Fijian soldiers returning from peacekeeping missions in East Timor
.
Commodore Bainimarama reiterated the Military's opposition to the legislation on 24 August. He asserted that it was the Military's prerogative to decide on the bill, as it was they and not the government that was responsible for the stability currently enjoyed by Fijian citizens. In a four-page statement, Bainimarama said that the Military, the Police, and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
had done much to restore stability to Fiji, with no assistance whatsoever from the government.
On 12 October, Military spokesman Captain Neumi Leweni
emphasized that the Military still wanted the bill withdrawn in its entirety. The amendments to the amnesty clauses hinted at by Prime Minister Qarase were not a sufficient guarantee that no coup perpetrators would be released, he said. He added that while the Military was committed to protecting the democratically elected government, it would not allow supporters of the 2000 coup to "bulldoze" the legislation through. Leweni reiterated this stance on 28 November. "We stated earlier that we do not want this bill at all and even if there are amendments we will still not support its implementation," he said. He threatened legal action if the bill, in any form, was passed. He was supported by Rev. Akuila Yabaki
of the Citizens Constitutional Forum, who said that the bill in its entirety was "unconstitutional" and needed to be withdrawn, and if not, challenged in the courts.
labelled Bainimarama "arrogant," saying that he was the only military commander in the commonwealth
with the effrontery to interfere in political affairs. While conceding that as citizens, soldiers had a right to observe parliamentary proceedings, they should have worn civilian clothes so as to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Attorney-General Qoriniasi Bale called for an investigation into why the officers had been in Parliament during work hours, and into why they had been in uniform.
(CAMV), the junior partner in Fiji's coalition government
, called on Bainimarama and Police Commissioner
Andrew Hughes
to resign for "making a mockery of (Fiji's) judicial systems," and Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola labelled Bainimarama "arrogant," saying that he was the only military commander in the commonwealth
with the effrontery to interfere in political affairs. Bainimarama retorted on 1 June that having undergone three coups
in eighteen years, Fiji could not be compared to other commonwealth countries.
On 15 July, Cakobau called for Bainimarama to be disciplined for insubordination, while Jale Baba
, National Director of the ruling United Fiji Party, said that "some of the statements made by Commodore Bainimarama were against the institution he worked for." However, Opposition Leader
Mahendra Chaudhry
, who has been critical of Bainimarama in the past, supported him this time, saying that the reason why Bainimarama has opposed the legislation is that he understands what it is really about.
On 20 June, the Fiji Times
reported that "a reliable source" close to the government had accused President Ratu Josefa Iloilo
, as the Military Commander-in-Chief
, of refusing repeated requests from Vosanibola to institute disciplinary measures against Bainimarama. The source cited Section 96 of the Constitution
, which requires the President to act on the advice of the appropriate Cabinet Minister
, in this case the Home Affairs Minister, and accused him of refusing to do so. This, he said, was making the Minister look foolish and incompetent.
On 30 June, Attorney-General Qoriniasi Bale
said that there was no problem between the government and the military, but added, "The only problem is an army leadership that thinks it rules the Government when it is supposed to be the other way around." He claimed that measures were underway to resolve the dispute. Bale was responding to concerns raised by the Nadroga-Navosa Provincial Council
about the government's passage of controversial legislation in the face of opposition from the military, as well as from foreign governments.
Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola finally admitted on 13 July that the government was constitutionally
powerless to do anything to discipline the Military commander. He said that the government was very concerned about Bainimarama's behaviour, and accused the media of exacerbating the tensions. "You (the media) can play a major role and come to us first instead of coming to us after highlighting what he (Bainimarama) has said," Vosanibola told the Fiji Times.
On 15 July, Vosanibola appeared to backtrack somewhat, saying that the government was looking at disciplinary options short of removing the commander from his position. According to the Fiji Times, he admitted having paid several visits to President Iloilo over the matter.
newspaper quoted a former soldier, who claims to be an Israel
i-trained Fijian security officer, as having met the Prime Minister and the Home Affairs Minister to offer to set up a mercenary
force, which he called a "protection squad," to defend the government against any threat from the Military. It would take less than a week to assemble the squad, he was reported as saying. Fiji Live
reported that Police Commissioner
Andrew Hughes
had expressed surprise at the news, saying that as one of the country's top security officers, he knew nothing about the matter. Commodore Bainimarama, for his part, said from New Caledonia
that the man was a "loser" who had been dishonourably discharged from the Fijian Army some time before.
On 19 July, the government convened a meeting of the National Security Council
, comprising Prime Minister Qarase, Attorney-General Bale, Finance Minister Ratu Jone Kubuabola
, Foreign Minister Kaliopate Tavola
, and Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola, to discuss the increasing tension between the government and the military. The Ministers emerged from the Council meeting tight-lipped and unwilling to answer questions pertaining to the relationship between the government and the military, except to say that the security situation was "calm" and "stable." Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola said that the government did not need the help of mercenaries, as offered by Raqio. Prime Minister Qarase, for his part, said that he was satisfied with military and police assurances about the security situation. "I would like to reiterate the assurances given by the military and police that the situation in the country is stable," the Prime Minister said. Meanwhile, military spokesman Captain Neumi Leweni
said that the military had not provided the Security Council with any briefing.
had, he claimed, discussed a letter of termination presented by Vosanibola. Meanwhile, Radio Australia
admitted its embarrassment over a telephone interview conducted, supposedly with Bainimarama, on 18 July. Bainimarama denied having given the interview, and Radio Australia admitted the next day that the person who answered the call, whom they now believed to have been a member of Bainimarama's staff, appeared to have been impersonating him.
accused the opposition Fiji Labour Party
of having manipulated the military, as well as the police, to defy the government. He said they had "poisoned the minds of the current leadership in the disciplined forces to publicly express their views against an elected Government without fear of retribution or recrimination."
On 3 October, Prime Minister Qarase called on Bainimarama to respect the authority of the government. He said that Home Affairs Minister Josefa Vosanibola was studying Bainimarama's recent comments, and that the government would duly decide what action to take in response.
(who supports the government's proposed reconciliation commission) and Epeli Ganilau
(who opposes it) both called on the government to settle its quarrel with Bainimarama and stop "passing the buck" to the President. Both men, despite their differences, had already defended Bainimarama's right to speak out, because maintaining stability is the responsibility of the Military. "They have a duty to protect the country 24 hours a day and have every right to be part of those observing the tabling of the bill," Rabuka said on 2 June. The day before, Ganilau had said that there was nothing sinister about the military being present to observe the tabling of legislation. Rabuka reiterated on 21 June that Bainimarama was within his rights to speak out, because he would be answerable if anything happened.
Prime Minister Qarase said on 31 July that he and Home Affairs Minister Josefa Vosanibola
considered the "Pacific way" of dialogue to be the best option to solve the impasse between the government and the military. He said he was "always available" to enter into dialogue with Commodore Bainimarama.
On 3 August, Prime Minister Qarase said that he was taking urgent steps to resolve the tension with the Military. He would consider, he said, the Military's views. The Prime Minister said that the issue was a very sensitive one, and that people should not think about it emotionally.
On 12 August, Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola insisted that his relationship with the Commodore Bainimarama was good, and that the government was on good terms with the Military. He was looking at ways to resolve the disagreements between the government and the Military, he added. "We will try and smooth the things with the army. I’m looking forward to meet him after this Parliament sitting is over," Vosanibola said.
On 11 July, Bainimarama issued one of his strongest-worded challenges yet to the government, saying that it was forcing the country into the same anarchy as in 2000. The Reconciliation and Unity Bill would never allow the country to live in peace, he said. In an eight-page statement, he warned that the Military was would take decisive action against any "destabilisers" - among whom he named Attorney-General Bale and Ministry of Reconciliation Chief Executive Apisalome Tudreu. "The military will dish out the same fate we dealt George Speight and his group to anyone whom we think deserves this treatment," Bainimarama said. He said that he would arrest and put on trial anyone who threatened the stability of Fiji.
Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola said in response to Bainimarama's latest attack that it was hurting the fine reputation of the Fijian army, which he said was "a global power" in peacemaking - but which suffered from a present leadership that he saw as "questionable." He called on Bainimarama to respect the rule of law and the parliamentary process. Vosanibola did not, however, repeat previous threats to discipline Bainimarama.
The next day, it was revealed that a draft document signed by Commodore Bainimarama had originally contained a direct threat to overthrow the government if the bill went through. "The RFMF must stop the Bill from passing or get rid of the Government if it is passed. We can recover without this government, we cannot recover from this Bill," said part of an emboldened paragraph, which was edited out of the document, part of the Military's draft submission to the parliamentary committee considering the bill, before publication. The document accused Prime Minister Qarase and Attorney-General Bale of playing the race card
deliberately for political reasons.
On 28 July, Bainimarama denied media reports that the Military had been on high alert since the introduction of the bill. The reports surfaced in the light of revelations that security had been tightened at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks in the Suva
suburb of Nabua
, and that security for President Iloilo had also been strengthened. Bainimarama's denial followed a report by Television New Zealand
on 26 July that Fiji's intelligence service was being put on high alert to counter coup threats from the Military.
The same day, Colonel Rabukawaqa denied that there were any plans to overthrow the government. The earlier eight-page memo making such threats that had been leaked to the press was, he said, only a draft. It was "just a thought" that the Military leadership had considered but not taken further, and should not be taken seriously, he said.
reported on 3 July (Monday) that Bainimarama had turned down an invitation to address the Fiji Law Society
over the weekend. Chief Justice
Daniel Fatiaki
confirmed that Bainimarama had been scheduled to speak. Bainimarama was said to be angry with Law Society President Graeme Leung
, a fellow-opponent of the Reconciliation and Unity Bill, for saying that opposing the legislation was not the prerogative of the military. Meanwhile, it was reported on 5 July that Bainimarama had called the legislation a form of "ethnic cleansing
".
. The announcement was met with immediate opposition from the Kadavu Provincial Council, which supports the legislation. The Council's youth coordinator, Sitiveni Qio, said that soldiers campaigning against the bill would not be welcome in Kadavu.
Bainimarama said on 24 August that more than 400 villages around Fiji had informed the visiting Military teams that they were opposed to the bill. He stressed that the Military would not allow any more coups to take palace in Fiji.
. He said that the bill was "morally, ethically, and legally wrong," and that the military would never support it. The Provincial Council representatives who supported the bill were the same people who supported George Speight in 2000, he claimed. Addressing more than 700 soldiers at a passing out parade, he said that reconciliation could not be legislated and could succeed only if it came from the hearts of those responsible for the crime. Passage of the Unity Bill would, he predicted, undermine the four arms of government - the police, the Department of Public Prosecutions, the Judiciary, and the Military, and would lead people to believe that they could get away acts of treason. If so, there would be no end to the culture of coups, he said. He concluded by quoting from the Bible
that one reaps what one sows.
in Lami on 28 July, Bainimarama said that the legislation would strip the Military of its ability to carry out its responsibilities in an emergency and would weaken national security. In a 31-page speech that took more than an hour to deliver, he accused the government of harbouring in its ranks persons involved in coup-related crimes in 2000. "Who's promoting the Bill? These are people in the current Government who participated in the 2000 coup. Some have been convicted, others are facing trial, there are still others left whom the long arm of the law should get at."
The commander took pains to emphasize, however, that the Military was not against the government. The issue, as he saw it, was the rule of law, not the government of the day. "The Bill will legitimise the 2000 coup and will weaken the law and order agencies," he said. "All the good work of rebuilding Fiji to what it is today will be undone." The world community would see a country that condones law-breakers, he maintained. "Why should only a few people be freed and not others when we are all serving under the same law? he asked rhetorically.
His speech, laced with quotes from the Bible
, urged the chiefs to "do right in the eyes of God" and reject the bill. "If you honourable chiefs agree that those involved in the coup be forgiven, it will prove that we support the wrong and will be at odds with the integrity of God," he declared. The commander criticized the Methodist Church for supporting the bill. "When we wrong God, he does not let us go ... When God's people (Jews) wronged him, he weakened them in battle and caused them to be captives in Babylon for 70 years," he stated. He considered that reconciliation would be possible only after justice had been served.
He reminded the chiefs that in 2000, they had not agreed to forgive the perpetrators of the coup, but had insisted that justice should take its course. He urged them to stand by that decision now. The commander did not get his way, however, as the Great Council ended up endorsing the bill, though with the qualification that the government should "consider" the objections raised by its opponents, including the Military.
Bainimarama ended his address by reminding the chiefs that in 2000, they had not agreed to forgive the perpetrators of the coup, but had insisted that justice should take its course. He urged them to stand by that decision now. He closed by quoting Amos
5,24: "Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-falling stream."
The commander said on 24 August that he was not surprised that the Great Council of Chiefs and the Methodist Church had both endorsed the controversial legislation, as some senior members of both institutions had supported the coup perpetrators in 2000, he alleged. His assertions were supported by former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka
- who happens to be a supporter of the legislation.
Australia
n Foreign Minister Alexander Downer
visited Fiji for two days of talks, from 28 to 30 September. Downer expressed strong reservations about the legislation, but also rebuked the Fijian Military for "playing politics." Downer's comments provoked an angry reaction from Bainimarama, who said that Australians have never had to live through a coup and therefore cannot understand what it is like.
In 2005, Commodore Bainimarama strongly criticized some sections of the Methodist Church for supporting the Unity Bill, and said that in future, all pastors seeking chaplaincy
assignments with Fijian military personnel travelling to the Middle East
would be required to state their position on the legislation. Supporters of it need not apply, he said.
Orisi Rabukawaqa
said on 1 August that it was not fair to expect taxpayers to foot the bill to compensate coup victims. Those seeking amnesty should pay, he said. Coup perpetrators would learn nothing from their mistakes, he said, if they were released without being required to compensate their victims. He defended the outspokenness of the Military on the bill. "We (the military) had always been called all over the globe to restore peace in other countries and we are only saying this because we do not want to do it in our own country," he said.
On 3 September, spokesman Rabukawaqa insisted that the Military was not opposed to the Qarase government as such, but only to the controversial Unity Bill, which he said had security implications. He also said that to offer pardons to only one category of criminal was inconsistent. "If we are going to forgive people, why don't we just forgive everybody and let everybody out of prison." He said that the Military opposed the principle of compensation to coup victims being paid by the taxpayer; rather the perpetrators should be held accountable, he said.
The Military had learned its lesson from the 1987 coups
, Rabukawaqa said. Then, they had deposed the government of Timoci Bavadra
(who was supported mostly by Indo-Fijian voters) in support of the Fijian ethno-nationalist cause, but later came to realize that they had been used. Those responsible for the 1987 coups cannot now be prosecuted, because Sitiveni Rabuka
, the chief instigator of the coups who later became Prime Minister, had presided over a rewriting of the Constitution
and had ensured the insertion of amnesty
provisions. "History unfortunately teaches that if you come out successful, you can rewrite the books to reflect well on you and poorly on others," Rabukawaqa said.
. Leweni's public statement coincided with an Australian Broadcasting Corporation
interview with Commodore Bainimarama on its Asia Pacific program. Bainimarama vowed that Speight would never be released, and called the bill a "gimmick" to win the votes of Speight sympathizers. His own greatest challenge, he said, was to hold the loyalty of his troops.
The two military statements provoked a mixed reaction from politicians and other public figures. Home Affairs Minister Josefa Vosanibola
declined to comment until he had seen Bainimarama's interview. Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Opeti Laladidi defended the Commander's right to speak his mind, but Cabinet Minister
Samisoni Tikoinasau
, Speight's older brother, said that Bainimarama's comments could take the country backwards and that he should be more cautious. He asserted that the government would not back down in the face of "threats" from the Military. Attorney-General
Qoriniasi Bale
, for his part, thought it unlikely that the legislation would be used to pardon Speight, as it made a pardon conditional on the person seeking it making a complete confession about who planned and financed the crisis. Speight has repeatedly refused to make any statement to that effect.
, pleaded with the Military not to use or threaten force to stop the Unity Bill. His appeal came in the wake of another public refusal from the Military commander to accept the legislation. "The RTU Bill is not going to happen," he defiantly declared at a press conference the previous day.
United Fiji Party (SDL) General Secretary Jale Baba
challenged Commodore Bainimarama to pursue his opposition to the bill through political, rather than military, channels. "He should join a political party and see if they will vote him in," Baba declared.
The Commander found support, however, from National Alliance Party
President Ratu Epeli Ganilau
and from Ema Druavesi
, General Secretary of the Fijian Political Party (SVT), which ruled Fiji from 1992 through 1999. She accused the government of promoting the bill for "deliberate and dishonest motives," alleging that its real purpose was to release all coup convicts. She also charged that public servants Anare Jale, Joji Kotobalavu, and Lesi Korovavala, along with the Attorney-General's Office, seemed to have a personal dislike for the Commander.
Prime Minister Qarase announced on 18 January that the tabling of the legislation for final parliamentary approval was being postponed until further notice, pending "consultations."
This move followed an extraordinary week which had seen unusual troop and naval deployments, rumours of a possible coup, and the dismissal of Acting Land Force Commander Lieutenant Colonel
Jone Baledrokadroka for alleged insubordination
, culminating in a meeting at Government House (the official residence of the President between the Prime Minister and Commodore Bainimarama under the auspices of Vice-President Ratu
Jone Madraiwiwi on 16 January. In a statement issued after the meeting, Madraiwiwi said that the Prime Minister had agreed to consider the grievances of the Military and to consult them about possible changes to the legislation. This was not clarified further at the time, but on the 18th, the Prime Minister went further and said that the process of consulting everybody could take a long time, and that it could no longer be guaranteed that the legislation would be passed in time for the 2006 parliamentary election
. The same was true of other controversial bills opposed by the Military, including legislation defining indigenous fishing rights and establishing a separate indigenous court system, Qarase said.
Jioji Kotobalavu, the Chief Executive Officer of the Prime Minister's Department, said that the bill was being revised, and that the Military would be briefed when the revision had been completed.
Early in March 2006, the Military warned the government not to reintroduce the bill should it win reelection
on 6-13 May. The Military also advised the Great Council of Chiefs
to pursue no further discussion of the bill, a charge rejected by Great Council General Secretary Asesela Sadole
.
On 5 December, Bainimarama overthrew the government. Addressing the media to explain his actions, he stated that the Reconciliation Bill had to be prevented as it would have "undermined the Constitution". He later added that, if the SDL
party returned to power, he would tolerate it only as long as it did not attempt to re-introduce the Bill. "If you do it, I'll remove you," he warned.
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...
, Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces
Military 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...
, has been a vociferous and uncompromising critic of the government's proposal to establish a Reconciliation and Unity Commission
Reconciliation and Unity Commission (Fiji)
The Reconciliation and Unity Commission is a proposed government body to be set up if the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill, which was introduced into the Fijian Parliament on 4 May 2005 is passed...
, with the power to grant compensation to victims of the 2000 coup, and amnesty to perpetrators of it. Among other objections, the Military claims that its integrity and discipline would be undermined if soldiers who mutinied in the 2000 upheaval were to be pardoned.
The military's opposition to the Bill culminated in a coup d'état in December 2006
2006 Fijian coup d'état
The Fijian coup d'état of December 2006 occurred as a continuation of the pressure which had been building since the military unrest of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état and 2005-2006 Fijian political crisis....
.
The power struggle
On 13 May 2005, Bainimarama spoke out against the proposal, calling it "Reconciliation bull" and vowing that he and the military would oppose the legislation, which detractors say is a sham to grant amnesty to supporters of the present government who played roles in the coup. His attack on the legislation, which continued unremittingly throughout May and into June, further strained his already tense relationship with the government.Bainimarama was supported by Army spokesman 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...
, who said on 16 May that a meeting of senior officers had resolved to try to prevent the passage of the legislation. "We are not in favour of the Bill that proposes to offer amnesty for coup perpetrators in 2000, and will do all we can to oppose it," Leweni said.
Bainimarama said on 1 June that having undergone three coups
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...
in eighteen years, Fiji could not be compared to other commonwealth countries. He said this in response to claims by Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola that Fiji was the only country in the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
whose Military commander dared to oppose government policy. Bainimarama revused refused to say what the military would do if the government insisted on passing the bill, saying that they would cross that bridge when they came to it.
Tensions escalated after 4 June, when Bainimarama publicly accused Prime Minister Qarase of having snubbed a military parade the previous day, in honour of Fijian soldiers returning from peacekeeping missions in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
.
Commodore Bainimarama reiterated the Military's opposition to the legislation on 24 August. He asserted that it was the Military's prerogative to decide on the bill, as it was they and not the government that was responsible for the stability currently enjoyed by Fijian citizens. In a four-page statement, Bainimarama said that the Military, the Police, and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions (Fiji)
The Director of Public Prosecutions was created under the Fiji Independence Act of 1970 and came into being that year. In 1990 and subsequently in 1997, the powers of the Office of the DPP were provided for in the Fiji Constitution, an entrenched document and the supreme law of the nation...
had done much to restore stability to Fiji, with no assistance whatsoever from the government.
On 12 October, Military spokesman 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...
emphasized that the Military still wanted the bill withdrawn in its entirety. The amendments to the amnesty clauses hinted at by Prime Minister Qarase were not a sufficient guarantee that no coup perpetrators would be released, he said. He added that while the Military was committed to protecting the democratically elected government, it would not allow supporters of the 2000 coup to "bulldoze" the legislation through. Leweni reiterated this stance on 28 November. "We stated earlier that we do not want this bill at all and even if there are amendments we will still not support its implementation," he said. He threatened legal action if the bill, in any form, was passed. He was supported by Rev. Akuila Yabaki
Akuila Yabaki
Akuila Yabaki is a Fijian human rights activist and Methodist clergyman. He is currently the Executive Director of the Citizens Constitutional Forum, a pro-democracy organization....
of the Citizens Constitutional Forum, who said that the bill in its entirety was "unconstitutional" and needed to be withdrawn, and if not, challenged in the courts.
Calls to discipline the military
On 29 May, more than 20 military officers, dressed in uniform, sat in the visitors' gallery in Parliament in a silent protest against the legislation. Home Affairs Minister Josefa VosanibolaJosefa Vosanibola
Josefa Bole Vosanibola is a Fijian politician, who has served as Minister for Home Affairs since 16 December 2004, when he was appointed by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase to succeed Joketani Cokanasiga...
labelled Bainimarama "arrogant," saying that he was the only military commander in the commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
with the effrontery to interfere in political affairs. While conceding that as citizens, soldiers had a right to observe parliamentary proceedings, they should have worn civilian clothes so as to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Attorney-General Qoriniasi Bale called for an investigation into why the officers had been in Parliament during work hours, and into why they had been in uniform.
Conservative Alliance calls for Bainimarama to be disciplined
The Conservative AllianceConservative Alliance (Fiji)
The Conservative Alliance was a far-right political party in Fiji, and a member of the ruling coalition government. It was commonly known as the CAMV, a combination of the initials of its English and Fijian names...
(CAMV), the junior partner in Fiji's coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
, called on Bainimarama and Police Commissioner
Commissioner of Police (Fiji)
Fiji has a unified national police force, the Fiji Police, whose motto is Salus Populi.The Fijian Commissioner of Police title had been held by Australian police officer Andrew Hughes since 2003 but after the 2006 takeover of the Government the post has been reserved for a local.The Commissioner is...
Andrew Hughes
Andrew Hughes (police)
Andrew 'Andy' Hughes is a senior officer of the Australian Federal Police who, until recently, served as the Chief Police Officer for the Australian Capital Territory . The CPO position is similar to the role of Australian Commissioners of Police, that is, the chief executive of the ACT Policing...
to resign for "making a mockery of (Fiji's) judicial systems," and Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola labelled Bainimarama "arrogant," saying that he was the only military commander in the commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
with the effrontery to interfere in political affairs. Bainimarama retorted on 1 June that having undergone three coups
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...
in eighteen years, Fiji could not be compared to other commonwealth countries.
On 15 July, Cakobau called for Bainimarama to be disciplined for insubordination, while Jale Baba
Jale Baba
Jale Baba is a Fijian businessman and political organizer. A forestry graduate of the Australian National University, he worked for Fiji Pine Limited for more than 20 years, before leaving in 1999 to start his own company- Baba Forests. He also serves as the campaign director of the ruling...
, National Director of the ruling United Fiji Party, said that "some of the statements made by Commodore Bainimarama were against the institution he worked for." However, Opposition Leader
Leader of the Opposition (Fiji)
The post of Leader of the Opposition is a political office common in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. It did not originate in Fiji but has a long tradition; in British constitutional theory, the Leader of the Opposition must pose a formal alternative to the government, ready...
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
, who has been critical of Bainimarama in the past, supported him this time, saying that the reason why Bainimarama has opposed the legislation is that he understands what it is really about.
Vosanibola warns Bainimarama
On 9 June, Vosanibola reacted to warnings from Bainimarama that the military might be forced to "open up" by reiterating his previous threats to discipline Bainimarama if he failed to act in accordance with government policy and submit any complaints through the correct channels.On 20 June, the Fiji Times
Fiji Times
The Fiji Times is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating....
reported that "a reliable source" close to the government had accused 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...
, as the Military Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
, of refusing repeated requests from Vosanibola to institute disciplinary measures against Bainimarama. The source cited Section 96 of the Constitution
Constitution 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....
, which requires the President to act on the advice of the appropriate Cabinet Minister
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...
, in this case the Home Affairs Minister, and accused him of refusing to do so. This, he said, was making the Minister look foolish and incompetent.
On 30 June, 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...
said that there was no problem between the government and the military, but added, "The only problem is an army leadership that thinks it rules the Government when it is supposed to be the other way around." He claimed that measures were underway to resolve the dispute. Bale was responding to concerns raised by the Nadroga-Navosa Provincial Council
Local government of Fiji
Fiji is divided administratively into four divisions, which are further subdivided into fourteen provinces; the self-governing island of Rotuma and its dependencies lie outside any of the four divisions. Each division is headed by a Commissioner, appointed by the Fijian government...
about the government's passage of controversial legislation in the face of opposition from the military, as well as from foreign governments.
Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola finally admitted on 13 July that the government was constitutionally
Constitution 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....
powerless to do anything to discipline the Military commander. He said that the government was very concerned about Bainimarama's behaviour, and accused the media of exacerbating the tensions. "You (the media) can play a major role and come to us first instead of coming to us after highlighting what he (Bainimarama) has said," Vosanibola told the Fiji Times.
On 15 July, Vosanibola appeared to backtrack somewhat, saying that the government was looking at disciplinary options short of removing the commander from his position. According to the Fiji Times, he admitted having paid several visits to President Iloilo over the matter.
Alleged offer to form pro-government mercenary force
Also on 15 July, the Fiji SunFiji Sun
The Fiji Sun is a daily newspaper published in Fiji. Owned by Sun News Limited, it was first published in September 1999. An internet edition is also published....
newspaper quoted a former soldier, who claims to be an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i-trained Fijian security officer, as having met the Prime Minister and the Home Affairs Minister to offer to set up a mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
force, which he called a "protection squad," to defend the government against any threat from the Military. It would take less than a week to assemble the squad, he was reported as saying. Fiji Live
Fiji Live
Fijilive is an online newspaper and business and cultural directory in Fiji. The site is owned by the Future Group of Companies owned by Fiji entrepreneur Yashwant Gaunder....
reported that Police Commissioner
Commissioner of Police (Fiji)
Fiji has a unified national police force, the Fiji Police, whose motto is Salus Populi.The Fijian Commissioner of Police title had been held by Australian police officer Andrew Hughes since 2003 but after the 2006 takeover of the Government the post has been reserved for a local.The Commissioner is...
Andrew Hughes
Andrew Hughes (police)
Andrew 'Andy' Hughes is a senior officer of the Australian Federal Police who, until recently, served as the Chief Police Officer for the Australian Capital Territory . The CPO position is similar to the role of Australian Commissioners of Police, that is, the chief executive of the ACT Policing...
had expressed surprise at the news, saying that as one of the country's top security officers, he knew nothing about the matter. Commodore Bainimarama, for his part, said from New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
that the man was a "loser" who had been dishonourably discharged from the Fijian Army some time before.
On 19 July, the government convened a meeting of the National Security Council
National Security Council (Fiji)
The National Security Council is, as its name indicates, the Republic of Fiji's National Security Council.It was established in 1990, through the Fiji Intelligence Service Decree, by the interim government which followed the 1987 coups d'état...
, comprising Prime Minister Qarase, Attorney-General Bale, Finance Minister Ratu Jone Kubuabola
Jone Kubuabola
Ratu Jone Yavala Kubuabola was Fiji's Minister for Finance, a position he held starting in 2000. He also represented the South West Urban Fijian Communal constituencies in the House of Representatives, to which he was elected as a candidate of the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua in...
, Foreign Minister Kaliopate Tavola
Kaliopate Tavola
Kaliopate Tavola is a Fijian economist, diplomat, and politician, who was his country's Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2000 to 2006...
, and Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola, to discuss the increasing tension between the government and the military. The Ministers emerged from the Council meeting tight-lipped and unwilling to answer questions pertaining to the relationship between the government and the military, except to say that the security situation was "calm" and "stable." Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola said that the government did not need the help of mercenaries, as offered by Raqio. Prime Minister Qarase, for his part, said that he was satisfied with military and police assurances about the security situation. "I would like to reiterate the assurances given by the military and police that the situation in the country is stable," the Prime Minister said. Meanwhile, military spokesman 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...
said that the military had not provided the Security Council with any briefing.
Alleged attempt to dismiss commander
On 20 July, Bainimarama went public with allegations that Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola had attempted to dismiss him in June. The CabinetCabinet (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...
had, he claimed, discussed a letter of termination presented by Vosanibola. Meanwhile, Radio Australia
Radio Australia
Radio Australia is the international broadcasting and online service operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation , Australia's public broadcaster.- History :...
admitted its embarrassment over a telephone interview conducted, supposedly with Bainimarama, on 18 July. Bainimarama denied having given the interview, and Radio Australia admitted the next day that the person who answered the call, whom they now believed to have been a member of Bainimarama's staff, appeared to have been impersonating him.
Further criticism of commander
In a parliamentary speech on 10 August, Fisheries Minister Konisi YabakiKonisi Yabaki
Konisi Tabu Yabaki is a Fijian politician from the southern Kadavu Island. He served in the Cabinet from 2000 to 2006, but lost his portfolios as Minister for Fisheries and Forests after the parliamentary election of 6-13 May 2006...
accused the opposition Fiji 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...
of having manipulated the military, as well as the police, to defy the government. He said they had "poisoned the minds of the current leadership in the disciplined forces to publicly express their views against an elected Government without fear of retribution or recrimination."
On 3 October, Prime Minister Qarase called on Bainimarama to respect the authority of the government. He said that Home Affairs Minister Josefa Vosanibola was studying Bainimarama's recent comments, and that the government would duly decide what action to take in response.
Efforts to defuse the quarrel
On 21 June, Bainimarama's predecessors as Military commander, Sitiveni RabukaSitiveni 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 supports the government's proposed reconciliation commission) and 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...
(who opposes it) both called on the government to settle its quarrel with Bainimarama and stop "passing the buck" to the President. Both men, despite their differences, had already defended Bainimarama's right to speak out, because maintaining stability is the responsibility of the Military. "They have a duty to protect the country 24 hours a day and have every right to be part of those observing the tabling of the bill," Rabuka said on 2 June. The day before, Ganilau had said that there was nothing sinister about the military being present to observe the tabling of legislation. Rabuka reiterated on 21 June that Bainimarama was within his rights to speak out, because he would be answerable if anything happened.
Prime Minister Qarase said on 31 July that he and Home Affairs Minister Josefa Vosanibola
Josefa Vosanibola
Josefa Bole Vosanibola is a Fijian politician, who has served as Minister for Home Affairs since 16 December 2004, when he was appointed by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase to succeed Joketani Cokanasiga...
considered the "Pacific way" of dialogue to be the best option to solve the impasse between the government and the military. He said he was "always available" to enter into dialogue with Commodore Bainimarama.
On 3 August, Prime Minister Qarase said that he was taking urgent steps to resolve the tension with the Military. He would consider, he said, the Military's views. The Prime Minister said that the issue was a very sensitive one, and that people should not think about it emotionally.
On 12 August, Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola insisted that his relationship with the Commodore Bainimarama was good, and that the government was on good terms with the Military. He was looking at ways to resolve the disagreements between the government and the Military, he added. "We will try and smooth the things with the army. I’m looking forward to meet him after this Parliament sitting is over," Vosanibola said.
Threat to depose the government
On 5 June, Bainimarama reiterated his opposition to the proposed reconciliation commission, and said that if the government continued to "bulldoze" it through Parliament, he would be forced to "open up." He did not elaborate on what he meant by that.On 11 July, Bainimarama issued one of his strongest-worded challenges yet to the government, saying that it was forcing the country into the same anarchy as in 2000. The Reconciliation and Unity Bill would never allow the country to live in peace, he said. In an eight-page statement, he warned that the Military was would take decisive action against any "destabilisers" - among whom he named Attorney-General Bale and Ministry of Reconciliation Chief Executive Apisalome Tudreu. "The military will dish out the same fate we dealt George Speight and his group to anyone whom we think deserves this treatment," Bainimarama said. He said that he would arrest and put on trial anyone who threatened the stability of Fiji.
Home Affairs Minister Vosanibola said in response to Bainimarama's latest attack that it was hurting the fine reputation of the Fijian army, which he said was "a global power" in peacemaking - but which suffered from a present leadership that he saw as "questionable." He called on Bainimarama to respect the rule of law and the parliamentary process. Vosanibola did not, however, repeat previous threats to discipline Bainimarama.
The next day, it was revealed that a draft document signed by Commodore Bainimarama had originally contained a direct threat to overthrow the government if the bill went through. "The RFMF must stop the Bill from passing or get rid of the Government if it is passed. We can recover without this government, we cannot recover from this Bill," said part of an emboldened paragraph, which was edited out of the document, part of the Military's draft submission to the parliamentary committee considering the bill, before publication. The document accused Prime Minister Qarase and Attorney-General Bale of playing the race card
Race card
Playing the race card is an idiomatic phrase that refers to exploitation of either racist or anti-racist attitudes to gain a personal advantage, typically by falsely accusing others of racism against oneself.-Usage:...
deliberately for political reasons.
On 28 July, Bainimarama denied media reports that the Military had been on high alert since the introduction of the bill. The reports surfaced in the light of revelations that security had been tightened at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks in the 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,...
suburb of Nabua
Nabua
Nabua is a suburb of the Fijian capital of Suva. The Queen Elizabeth Barracks, a major military base which saw a mutiny on 2 November 2000, is located there....
, and that security for President Iloilo had also been strengthened. Bainimarama's denial followed a report by Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....
on 26 July that Fiji's intelligence service was being put on high alert to counter coup threats from the Military.
Police tighten security
The acting Assistant Superintendent of Police, Unaisi Vuniwaqa, said on 3 August that the police regarded the Military as a possible threat to national stability if the controversial legislation passed, and had taken steps to improve the security of the Parliamentary complex, with checkpoints being set up and plainclothes policemen and Tactical Response Unit guards posted. No one would be admitted to the complex without producing identity cards or receiving confirmation of their business from within the parliamentary secretariat. Military reservists working with the police had also been asked to state which body, Military or police, their allegiance lay with. "It's been something that has been on-going even before the Bill and we just wanted to gauge how many men we could rely on in case of emergency," Vuniwaqa said.The same day, Colonel Rabukawaqa denied that there were any plans to overthrow the government. The earlier eight-page memo making such threats that had been leaked to the press was, he said, only a draft. It was "just a thought" that the Military leadership had considered but not taken further, and should not be taken seriously, he said.
Parliamentary submission
In its parliamentary submission on 29 June, the military claimed that its integrity would be undermined by the passage of the legislation. It expressed concern that soldiers jailed for their involvement in the 2000 coup and the mutinies that accompanied and followed it could be released under the bill's amnesty provisions, which would undermine military discipline and weaken the integrity of the military as an institution. The constitutional power of Commodore Bainimarama as Commander, as the person responsible for discipline, would also be degraded, the submission said. "The events of 2000 showed that the schism that split the military, the country, judiciary, the police and even families was embedded and took over four years to expunge," the statement said. "Any move such as the use of amnesty to allow convicted soldiers to re-enter the rank and file of the military will violate the very basis upon which the strength of the military lies."Incident at the Fiji Law Society
The Fiji TimesFiji Times
The Fiji Times is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating....
reported on 3 July (Monday) that Bainimarama had turned down an invitation to address the Fiji Law Society
Fiji Law Society
The Fiji Law Society is the official body that registers and regulates the activity of all lawyers in Fiji. Devanesh Sharma was elected to replace Graeme Leung as President of the Fiji Law Society on 9 September 2006, and as such he holds membership ex officio on the Judicial Service Commission...
over the weekend. 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. ...
Daniel Fatiaki
Daniel Fatiaki
Taniela Vafo'ou Fatiaki CF was the Chief Justice of Fiji from 1 August 2002, when he succeeded Sir Timoci Tuivaga, till 5 December 2008. As Chief Justice, he presided over both the High Court and the Supreme Court, but is constitutionally barred from presiding over, or even sitting on, the...
confirmed that Bainimarama had been scheduled to speak. Bainimarama was said to be angry with Law Society President Graeme Leung
Graeme Leung
Graham Everett Leung is a Fijian lawyer and former President of the Fiji Law Society. He was also Chairman of the Electoral Commission, and was named as Judge Advocate of a Court Martial panel to retry 20 soldiers convicted mutiny in relation to the Fiji coup of 2000, but a number of complications...
, a fellow-opponent of the Reconciliation and Unity Bill, for saying that opposing the legislation was not the prerogative of the military. Meanwhile, it was reported on 5 July that Bainimarama had called the legislation a form of "ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic orreligious group from certain geographic areas....
".
Lobbying the villages, provinces, chiefs
On 21 June, Bainimarama announced that his officers would spend the following six weeks visiting villages to inform the population of the military's perception of the bill, which they had translated into FijianFijian language
Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji. It has 450,000 first-language speakers, which is less than half the population of Fiji, but another 200,000 speak it as a second language...
. The announcement was met with immediate opposition from the Kadavu Provincial Council, which supports the legislation. The Council's youth coordinator, Sitiveni Qio, said that soldiers campaigning against the bill would not be welcome in Kadavu.
Bainimarama said on 24 August that more than 400 villages around Fiji had informed the visiting Military teams that they were opposed to the bill. He stressed that the Military would not allow any more coups to take palace in Fiji.
Reaction to bill's endorsement by provincial councils
On 26 July, Bainimarama declared that the military would continue to oppose the legislation, despite its endorsement by the Councils of all fifteen Provinces and dependenciesLocal government of Fiji
Fiji is divided administratively into four divisions, which are further subdivided into fourteen provinces; the self-governing island of Rotuma and its dependencies lie outside any of the four divisions. Each division is headed by a Commissioner, appointed by the Fijian government...
. He said that the bill was "morally, ethically, and legally wrong," and that the military would never support it. The Provincial Council representatives who supported the bill were the same people who supported George Speight in 2000, he claimed. Addressing more than 700 soldiers at a passing out parade, he said that reconciliation could not be legislated and could succeed only if it came from the hearts of those responsible for the crime. Passage of the Unity Bill would, he predicted, undermine the four arms of government - the police, the Department of Public Prosecutions, the Judiciary, and the Military, and would lead people to believe that they could get away acts of treason. If so, there would be no end to the culture of coups, he said. He concluded by quoting from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
that one reaps what one sows.
Address to the Great Council of Chiefs
Addressing a special meeting of the Great Council of ChiefsGreat 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...
in Lami on 28 July, Bainimarama said that the legislation would strip the Military of its ability to carry out its responsibilities in an emergency and would weaken national security. In a 31-page speech that took more than an hour to deliver, he accused the government of harbouring in its ranks persons involved in coup-related crimes in 2000. "Who's promoting the Bill? These are people in the current Government who participated in the 2000 coup. Some have been convicted, others are facing trial, there are still others left whom the long arm of the law should get at."
The commander took pains to emphasize, however, that the Military was not against the government. The issue, as he saw it, was the rule of law, not the government of the day. "The Bill will legitimise the 2000 coup and will weaken the law and order agencies," he said. "All the good work of rebuilding Fiji to what it is today will be undone." The world community would see a country that condones law-breakers, he maintained. "Why should only a few people be freed and not others when we are all serving under the same law? he asked rhetorically.
His speech, laced with quotes from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, urged the chiefs to "do right in the eyes of God" and reject the bill. "If you honourable chiefs agree that those involved in the coup be forgiven, it will prove that we support the wrong and will be at odds with the integrity of God," he declared. The commander criticized the Methodist Church for supporting the bill. "When we wrong God, he does not let us go ... When God's people (Jews) wronged him, he weakened them in battle and caused them to be captives in Babylon for 70 years," he stated. He considered that reconciliation would be possible only after justice had been served.
He reminded the chiefs that in 2000, they had not agreed to forgive the perpetrators of the coup, but had insisted that justice should take its course. He urged them to stand by that decision now. The commander did not get his way, however, as the Great Council ended up endorsing the bill, though with the qualification that the government should "consider" the objections raised by its opponents, including the Military.
Bainimarama ended his address by reminding the chiefs that in 2000, they had not agreed to forgive the perpetrators of the coup, but had insisted that justice should take its course. He urged them to stand by that decision now. He closed by quoting Amos
Book of Amos
The Book of Amos is a prophetic book of the Hebrew Bible, one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. Amos, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah, was active c. 750 BCE during the reign of Jeroboam II, making the Book of Amos the first biblical prophetic book written. Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah...
5,24: "Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-falling stream."
Bainimarama criticizes chiefs
On 29 July, Bainimarama issued a statement critical of the chiefs' decision to support the bill. He accused them of forgetting the decision they had made in 2000, that justice should take its course. "It is sad that they had forgotten that wise decision and have also forgotten the rest of the multi-racial society within which we live," Bainimarama said. He reiterated that the bill was legally, morally, and ethically wrong, and that it condoned the unlawful events of 2000. He said that the chiefs' decision had alienated a large portion of society, and though he accepted that the decision had been taken, that the Military would continue to oppose the legislation. "We will rather air these concerns now than be called in to try to rebuild a society that has been devastated by civil upheaval for this is where we see our destiny if we continue down this path with the Bill," he said.The commander said on 24 August that he was not surprised that the Great Council of Chiefs and the Methodist Church had both endorsed the controversial legislation, as some senior members of both institutions had supported the coup perpetrators in 2000, he alleged. His assertions were supported by 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 happens to be a supporter of the legislation.
Disagreement with Australian government
- See main article: Foreign reaction to the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill (Fiji)Foreign reaction to the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill (Fiji)The controversial Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill being promoted by the Fijian government throughout 2005 has generated enormous debate, both locally and internationally. The legislation aims to establish a Commission empowered to compensate victims and pardon perpetrators of the coup...
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Foreign Minister Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...
visited Fiji for two days of talks, from 28 to 30 September. Downer expressed strong reservations about the legislation, but also rebuked the Fijian Military for "playing politics." Downer's comments provoked an angry reaction from Bainimarama, who said that Australians have never had to live through a coup and therefore cannot understand what it is like.
Disagreement with Methodist Church
- See main article: Military-church relations in FijiMilitary-church relations in FijiThe Military of Fiji has always had a close relationship between the country's churches, particularly the Methodist Church, to which some two-thirds of indigenous Fijians belong. Relations became strained in 2005, however, over the church's support for the government's controversial Reconciliation...
In 2005, Commodore Bainimarama strongly criticized some sections of the Methodist Church for supporting the Unity Bill, and said that in future, all pastors seeking chaplaincy
Military chaplain
A military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the...
assignments with Fijian military personnel travelling to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
would be required to state their position on the legislation. Supporters of it need not apply, he said.
Rabukawaqa speaks out
Military spokesman Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Orisi Rabukawaqa
Orisi Rabukawaqa
Orisi Rabukawaqa is a Fijian career soldier. As of early 2006, he holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and is one of two official spokesmen for the Military, the other being Major Neumi Leweni....
said on 1 August that it was not fair to expect taxpayers to foot the bill to compensate coup victims. Those seeking amnesty should pay, he said. Coup perpetrators would learn nothing from their mistakes, he said, if they were released without being required to compensate their victims. He defended the outspokenness of the Military on the bill. "We (the military) had always been called all over the globe to restore peace in other countries and we are only saying this because we do not want to do it in our own country," he said.
On 3 September, spokesman Rabukawaqa insisted that the Military was not opposed to the Qarase government as such, but only to the controversial Unity Bill, which he said had security implications. He also said that to offer pardons to only one category of criminal was inconsistent. "If we are going to forgive people, why don't we just forgive everybody and let everybody out of prison." He said that the Military opposed the principle of compensation to coup victims being paid by the taxpayer; rather the perpetrators should be held accountable, he said.
The Military had learned its lesson from the 1987 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...
, Rabukawaqa said. Then, they had deposed the government of Timoci Bavadra
Timoci Bavadra
Timoci Uluivuda Bavadra was a medical doctor who served for one month as the second Prime Minister of Fiji in 1987 and who founded the Fiji Labour Party....
(who was supported mostly by Indo-Fijian voters) in support of the Fijian ethno-nationalist cause, but later came to realize that they had been used. Those responsible for the 1987 coups cannot now be prosecuted, because 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...
, the chief instigator of the coups who later became Prime Minister, had presided over a rewriting of the Constitution
Constitution 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....
and had ensured the insertion of amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
provisions. "History unfortunately teaches that if you come out successful, you can rewrite the books to reflect well on you and poorly on others," Rabukawaqa said.
No pardon for Speight - military
On 6 November, Captain Leweni reiterated the Military's total opposition to any possible pardon for the coup's front man, George SpeightGeorge 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...
. Leweni's public statement coincided with an Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
interview with Commodore Bainimarama on its Asia Pacific program. Bainimarama vowed that Speight would never be released, and called the bill a "gimmick" to win the votes of Speight sympathizers. His own greatest challenge, he said, was to hold the loyalty of his troops.
The two military statements provoked a mixed reaction from politicians and other public figures. Home Affairs Minister Josefa Vosanibola
Josefa Vosanibola
Josefa Bole Vosanibola is a Fijian politician, who has served as Minister for Home Affairs since 16 December 2004, when he was appointed by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase to succeed Joketani Cokanasiga...
declined to comment until he had seen Bainimarama's interview. Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Opeti Laladidi defended the Commander's right to speak his mind, but Cabinet Minister
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...
Samisoni Tikoinasau
Samisoni Tikoinasau
Samisoni Tikoinasau Speight is a Fijian politician, who held Cabinet office as Minister of State for Public Utilities and Reforms, to which he was appointed after parliametary election of May 2006. Previously, he was Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources from 2005 to 2006...
, Speight's older brother, said that Bainimarama's comments could take the country backwards and that he should be more cautious. He asserted that the government would not back down in the face of "threats" from the Military. Attorney-General
Attorney-General (Fiji)
Fiji's chief governmental legal officer is the Attorney General. According to the Constitution of Fiji, the Attorney-General is required to be a qualified lawyer and sits in the Cabinet. The office of the Attorney-General is the oldest surviving executive office in Fiji, having been established...
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...
, for his part, thought it unlikely that the legislation would be used to pardon Speight, as it made a pardon conditional on the person seeking it making a complete confession about who planned and financed the crisis. Speight has repeatedly refused to make any statement to that effect.
Kotobalavu pleads with Bainimarama
On 22 December 2005, the Chief Executive Officer in the Prime Minister's Department, Joji KotobalavuJoji 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...
, pleaded with the Military not to use or threaten force to stop the Unity Bill. His appeal came in the wake of another public refusal from the Military commander to accept the legislation. "The RTU Bill is not going to happen," he defiantly declared at a press conference the previous day.
United Fiji Party (SDL) General Secretary Jale Baba
Jale Baba
Jale Baba is a Fijian businessman and political organizer. A forestry graduate of the Australian National University, he worked for Fiji Pine Limited for more than 20 years, before leaving in 1999 to start his own company- Baba Forests. He also serves as the campaign director of the ruling...
challenged Commodore Bainimarama to pursue his opposition to the bill through political, rather than military, channels. "He should join a political party and see if they will vote him in," Baba declared.
The Commander found support, however, from National Alliance Party
National Alliance Party of Fiji
The National Alliance Party of Fiji is a Fijian political party. It was formally registered on 18 January 2005 by Ratu Epeli Ganilau, as the claimed successor to the defunct Alliance Party, which ruled Fiji from 1967 to 1987 under the leadership of the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, Ganilau's...
President 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...
and from Ema Druavesi
Ema Druavesi
Ema Druavesi is a Fijian political organizer, who currently serves as General Secretary of the Fijian Political Party, officially known by its Fijian name, Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei, or SVT.-References:...
, General Secretary of the Fijian Political Party (SVT), which ruled Fiji from 1992 through 1999. She accused the government of promoting the bill for "deliberate and dishonest motives," alleging that its real purpose was to release all coup convicts. She also charged that public servants Anare Jale, Joji Kotobalavu, and Lesi Korovavala, along with the Attorney-General's Office, seemed to have a personal dislike for the Commander.
Parliamentary vote delayed
- See main article: Fiji crisis of 2005-2006Fiji crisis of 2005-2006The tension between Fiji's government and Military forces, which had been simmering for more than two years, appeared to escalate in late December 2005...
.
Prime Minister Qarase announced on 18 January that the tabling of the legislation for final parliamentary approval was being postponed until further notice, pending "consultations."
This move followed an extraordinary week which had seen unusual troop and naval deployments, rumours of a possible coup, and the dismissal of Acting Land Force Commander Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Jone Baledrokadroka for alleged insubordination
Insubordination
Insubordination is the act of willfully disobeying an authority. Refusing to perform an action that is unethical or illegal is not insubordination; neither is refusing to perform an action that is not within the scope of authority of the person issuing the order.Insubordination is typically a...
, culminating in a meeting at Government House (the official residence of the President between the Prime Minister and Commodore Bainimarama under the auspices of Vice-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"...
Jone Madraiwiwi on 16 January. In a statement issued after the meeting, Madraiwiwi said that the Prime Minister had agreed to consider the grievances of the Military and to consult them about possible changes to the legislation. This was not clarified further at the time, but on the 18th, the Prime Minister went further and said that the process of consulting everybody could take a long time, and that it could no longer be guaranteed that the legislation would be passed in time for the 2006 parliamentary election
Fiji election of 2006
The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. The latest election was held on 6-13 May 2006. Acting President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi issued a proclamation on 2 March, effective from 27 March, dissolving Parliament...
. The same was true of other controversial bills opposed by the Military, including legislation defining indigenous fishing rights and establishing a separate indigenous court system, Qarase said.
Jioji Kotobalavu, the Chief Executive Officer of the Prime Minister's Department, said that the bill was being revised, and that the Military would be briefed when the revision had been completed.
Military still opposed
Captain Leweni reiterated the Military's opposition to the bill 16 February 2006. The Military would never allow it to become law, he vowed. "As far as the RFMF (Military) is concerned the RTU Bill is a non-issue as we have promised it will not eventuate," he said. Commodore Bainimarama later endorsed Leweni's comments, which followed a statement from the Prime Minister that the bill had not been abandoned and would not be.Early in March 2006, the Military warned the government not to reintroduce the bill should it win reelection
Fiji election of 2006
The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. The latest election was held on 6-13 May 2006. Acting President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi issued a proclamation on 2 March, effective from 27 March, dissolving Parliament...
on 6-13 May. The Military also advised 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 pursue no further discussion of the bill, a charge rejected by Great Council General Secretary Asesela Sadole
Asesela Sadole
Asesela Sadole is a Fijian politician. He is a member of the Senate of Fiji and represents Ba.-References:*...
.
2006 military coup
In late November 2006, Bainimarama handed down a list of demands to Qarase, one of which was the withdrawal of three controversial bills, including the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill.On 5 December, Bainimarama overthrew the government. Addressing the media to explain his actions, he stated that the Reconciliation Bill had to be prevented as it would have "undermined the Constitution". He later added that, if the SDL
Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua
The Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua is a political party in Fiji...
party returned to power, he would tolerate it only as long as it did not attempt to re-introduce the Bill. "If you do it, I'll remove you," he warned.