in Fiji’s political basket
pp. 12-13 · Read in the full issue
Unscrambling the broken eggs in Fiji’s political basket
From ROBERT KEITH-REID in Suva
Fiji’s government and opposition parties are keeping an unofficial, uneasy truce while they wait to see how the wind is blowing.
The minority Alliance government, which in an April general election had its parliamentary strength lopped from 33 of the 52 seats to 24 is wondering why the opposition National Federation Party, mustering 26 seats, has failed to toppie n with a vote of no-confidence.
Mainly Fijian-supported, the Alliance planned to force the issue by asking for a vote of confidence when the House resumed its meeting on Mav 24 Meanwhile, the predominantly Indian-backed NFP is wondering when, if ever, its perpetually-squabbling leaders will set about convincing the country that they are capable of governing.
One thing is increasingly clear to an increasingly-irritated electorate; it is that Fiji is in the doldrums, drifting without a government strong enough to steer a meaningful course.
The question being asked is; How long can Fiji afford to suffer such a state of affairs?
The Alliance was beaten due to a surprise swing by about 25% of Fi-
jian voters to the anti-Indian cause of the Fijian Nationalist Party, Left, theoretically, in a position to form a government, a surprised NFP dallied fatally for four days after the election, trying to decide whether it dare do so. indecision was abruptly ended when (he Governor-General, Ratu sjr George Cakobau, announced that he was rea ppointing the Al a nce leader, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara as Prime Minjster n t _. „ . ... . , . R “‘" Sl , r ° eorg^ . a PPf r «J‘ ly d|dn t l „ hlnk h; ‘ Opposition leader S.dd.q Koya had enou 8 h support from in side his own Party to do the job. . His decision ripped open a freshly-knitted NFO leadership split wound.
Supporters of Mr Koya screamed that a faction led by the party’s president, Mrs Irene Jai Narayan, and secretary, Mr Karam Ramrakha, had stabbed the leader from behind.
Someone, they alleged, had tip ped off the Governor-General that not all opposition MPs would have Mr Koya as Prime Minister, Mrs Narayan and Mr Ramrakha are known to want the NFP leader ship changed, but they vehemently
denied having tried to do so in this way.
Yet accusations continued so thick and fast that Ratu Sir George, in an unusual step for a vice-regal personage, issued a statement to say he had not got any secret tip from the NFP or other party, before de ciding to dash My Koya’s hopes.
While the NFP wilted, the Alliance showed definite signs of reviving.
Ratu Sir Kamisese assured an emergency election post-mortem session of the Fijian Association, the Alliance’s strongest arm, that his government and not the NFP would push the button for another election “when the time has come”.
He left the meeting heartened by Fijian promises of $F30,000 for his party’s empty election fighting fund by the end of May.
By the end of April, much of the Alliance election machine was turn ing again to discover what went wrong for the party at the polls.
The first objective was to per suade thousands of Fijians, who had voted for the Fijian Nationalists, to return to the Alliance fold.
Another post-election sensation was the arrest of Fijian Nationalist leader Sakiasi Butadroka on Public Order Act charges.
He denied accusations that he had held an illegal public meeting, had attended an unlawful assembly, and had incited racial hatred.
Butadroka was remanded in custody for trial in May.
Three applications for bail so that he could attend the opening sessions of parliament on April 27 and 28 were refused.
His arrest posed two questions for the Alliance. Would his removal from the scene, at least temporarily, make it easier to win back Fijian support? Or would Butadroka attain martyr status that would make counter-action against the Na tionalists difficult?
The two-day inaugural session of the House of Representatives passed without a move by the NFP to topple the Alliance. Parliament adjourned
to May 24 with the Alliance reaffirming its intention to seek a vote of confidence.
Observers noted that the Alliance could win such a vote easily if the NFP simply abstained, and the ex pectation was that the opposition would abstain.
From Mr Koya’s side there were hints that he thought it was “futile” to kick the Alliance out right away.
The explanation, it emerged, was that several of his supporters won their seats by narrow margins.
As the situation is now, they don’t think they would keep them if another election was fought soon.
Their ousting would shift majority support in the NFP caucus to his rivals, who would have enough power to remove him as leader.
This, the theory goes, is why Mr Koya is unwilling to face another election, at least just now.
Alliance organisers are en visaging a fresh election in August or September.
Most observers agree that if the NFP fails to sort out its difficulties, and if the influence of the Fijian Na tionalists falters, as well it might, the Alliance should slide back to power comfortably enough, with about 30 of the 52 seats to be con tested again.
But until this happens, Fiji’s government will be largely an in effective one.