Kuini of hope
pp. 8-9 · Read in the full issue
Cover
Kuini of hope Power in the hands of the chiefs
Mrs Kuini Bavadra has become the leader of Fiji’s Coalition Party, taking over from her husband who died last month. Other events last month suggest that Mrs Bavadra might be a beacon of hope in post-coup Fiji.
By Jale Moala
FOR nearly three years now, Fiji’s Coalition Party has been waging a verbal war against the interim gov ernment. Statement after statement, from both sides of the fence, kept alive the flame of dissent in a country ginger ly moving away from the traumas of two military coups in 1987. A settlement was nowhere in sight. The Coalition, domin ated by Indians and still smarting from being toppled from government by the army takeover, refused to play to a new set of rules strongly in favour of the indigenous Fijians.
Last month, however, after the death of deposed Prime Minister Dr Timoci Bavadra, the Coalition approached Kuini Bavadra to take over the party lead ership. She agreed “because of my husband’s personal sacrifice”. Mrs
Bavadra immediately voiced optimism
that now, for the first time since 1987, there was hope of reconciliation and compromise. “We have to face reality,” she says. “The interim government is running the government. The Coalition Party cannot set up a government in ex ile (and) I think it is reasonable to co operate as much as possible.”
It is almost inevitable that the interim
government of Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara would grasp this oppor tunity to try and heal the wounds of 1987.
But of greater significance in events that took place last month was the death in Suva of Fiji’s paramount chief, the Vunivalu and former Governor-General, Ratu Sir George Cakobau. While the na tion mourn the death of a man de scribed as a chief, statesman, sportsman and friend, the death brought together Fiji’s leader and their people on the tiny island of Bau.
Traditional presentations from all parts of Fiji during the mourning cere
Right connections? Kuini Bavadra in a man’s world but with the right blood lines.
mony highlighted the complicated and
intriguing family relationship which ties
the country’s most powerful chiefs. Ratu Sir George is a direct descendent of Ratu Seru Cakobau, the chief who engineered the Deed of Cession which brought Fiji under the British flag in 1874.
Through a continuous string of
arranged marriages throughout the ages,
Cakobau, Mara and the President of Fiji, Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau, are cousins and carry the country’s most powerful blood line. Mrs Bavadra, through her father’s mother, is a close cousin of the three men. The significance of this is that for the first time since Fiji gained independ ence in 1970, control over the major political parties have returned to the hands of the same family.
Says Mrs Bavadra: “There is an advan tage there that I can at least speak to some that my people are traditionally re lated to and I think they will listen. It would have been more difficult if I didn’t have that link with the chiefly sys tem.” Mrs Bavadra’s grandmother is the sister of the late Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, Fiji’s favourite son, cousin of Cakobau and the father of modern Fiji. It is this powerful link that Mrs Bavadra might
use to bring about the reconciliation she seeks.
Many see her as being tougher than her late husband. And because she is of noble birth, compared to Bavadra the commoner, she will give the party a greater Fijian identity even though it will continue to rely on Indian votes.
Mrs Bavadra’s father is a chief.
Together with their people they
travelled to Bau island, not far off the coast from Suva, to make presentations at the mourning of Cakobau. Through out the week of mourning, chiefs and their people renewed ancient allegiance, recounted blood ties and strengthened customary political alliances.
From a Fijian viewpoint, the death of a paramount chief encouraged unity and paved the way for national reconcilia tion.
For Mrs Bavadra, the allegiance and alliances forged through centuries of arranged marriages, has made her a more acceptable leader than her late husband in the eyes of indigenous Fi jians. For this she becomes a more likely alternative Prime Minister in post-coup Fiji. □
A nation mourns: the casket of Ratu Sir George Cakobau goes to Government House to lie in state.