Ratu Mara’s Cabinet

Fiji’s veteran politician and statesman Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara has appointed a 21-member cabinet, with himself taking the portfolios of Foreign Affairs and the Civil Service.

Ten of the ministers were in the mili tary Government of Brigadier Rabuka, and three army colonels besides Brigadier Rabuka have been allocated cabinet portfolios.

Of the 12 Taukei supporters in the mil itary Government, five have retained cab inet positions and seven have been dropped.

Of the 21 cabinet ministers, all except the four army officers and four others are either former Alliance ministers or Alli ance parliamentarians.

Fiji’s civilian Government cabinet members are: Filipe Bole: Minister for Education, a portfolio he held in the Alliance Govern ment. He was Foreign Minister in the mil itary Government.

Apisai Tora: Minister for Communi cations, Works and Transport. He held the same portfolio in the Alliance Govern ment and in the military Government.

Ratu Josaia Tavaiqia: Minister for Forestry. Held the same position in the Al liance Government and in the military Government.

Dr Apenisa Kurisaqila: Minister for Health. Held this portfolio in the Alliance Government and in the dissolved military Government.

Charles Walker: Minister for Infor mation. Minister for Primary Industries in the Alliance Government.

Tomasi Vakatora: Minister for Hous ing and Urban Development. Speaker of the House in the Alliance Government.

Ishwari Bajpai: Minister for Co-Operatives and the National Marketing Authority. Served in the Alliance Govern ment as Minister of State for Co- Operatives.

Ratu William Toganivalu: Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources. Served in various portfolios in the Alliance Government.

Taniela Veitata: Minister for Employ ment and Industrial Relations. Held the same portfolio in the military Government.

Viliame Gonelevu: Minister for Pri mary Industries. Held the same position in the military Government.

David Pickering: Minister for Tour ism, Civil Aviation and Energy. Served as Minister for Tourism in the military Government.

Irene Jai Narayan: Minister for Indian Affairs, a new portfolio created by the mil itary Government.

Brigadier Sitiveni Rabuka: Minister for Home Affairs, National Youth Service and Auxiliary Army Services.

Colonel Ilaisa Kacisolomone: Minis ter for Youth and Sports. Held the same post in the military Government.

Colonel Vatiliai Navunisaravi: Minis ter for Fijian Affairs. Immediate past commissioner of Native Lands and Fisheries.

Lt Col Apolosi Biuvakaloloma: Min ister for Rural Development and Rural Housing. Was in charge of the Army’s Trade Training School and its Rural Unit.

Sailosi Kepa: Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. Fiji’s High Commis sioner in London and before that. Direc tor of Public Prosecutions.

Soon after the new cabinet was an nounced, a joint statement from the Pres ident and the Prime Minister categorically denied that the cabinet appointments were made in accordance with conditions un der which Brigadier Rabuka had agreed to hand power to the new Government.

The Fiji Times had said that the ap pointments were based on a set of condi tions forwarded to the two leaders: • No member of the NFP/Labour Coali tion to be in the new cabinet. • The draft constitution prepared by the military be accepted and any amend ments to go through the forces advisers. • Two army officers to be included in any constitutional review committee and any committee formed for this purpose in the future. • At least two officers other than the Commander to be part of the interim Government. • No non-Fijian who was a former mem ber of the colonial administration to be engaged in any advisory capacity. • There be meetings between the Presi dent, the Prime Minister and the Com mander and senior army officers at least once a month. • Operation Yavato, an anti-corruption investigation, to be continued. • The Public Service Commission port folio to be included in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

However, the joint statement from Ratu Sir Penaia and Ratu Mara stated that “the President and the Prime Minister con sider they should take the unusual step of publicly refuting the accuracy of the two reports since they relate to such an im portant event of political change in Fiji.”

“The eight points as reported were brought to the notice of both the President and the Prime Minister. Neither the Pres ident nor the Prime Minister agreed to treat the points as conditions as part of their acceptance of office. Such suggestion was categorically refused.

“It was stated that the points could be treated as discussion points, and achieved no other status.” □

Ratu Mara: a hard road ahead.