Opposition boycott

Politics Fiji

FIJI’S opposition parties last month boycotted parliament for two days after Prime Minister Sitiyeni Rabuka warned there may be a bloody repeat of the country’s 1987 military coups. “I cannot guarantee nor can anyone guarantee that there will not be another coup in this land, the former coup leader told parliament on June 16 during a debate on crime and punishment.

“When that happens, I cannot guarantee that it will be bloodless like

nf |ionQ walk nilt nf Pin iHUlallo Wdll\ UUI. Ul ■ IJI

parliament aft6f PM

WdmS of bloody coup

mine.” Rabuka, then an army officer, led two military coups in 1987 to depose an Indian-dominated government. Fiji’s 1990 post-coup constitution guarantees indigenous Fijians political supremacy over Fiji’s large Indian population. The

constitution is due to be reviewed by 1997.

Rabuka said some blamed lawlessness in Fiji on the coups of 1987. “I will not and I will never apologise for the coup of 1987,” he said. “I will not even say that it will not happen again.”

Members of the opposition National

Federation Party (NFP) and Fiji Labour

Party (FLP) refused to return to parlia ment after the short break which fol lowed Rabuka’s comments. Proceedings in the house of representatives were later abandoned.

“He said a few ugly things and we decided to protest against it,” said FLP deputy leader Krishna Datt. Datt ac cused Rabuka of making an unprovoked threat. “It was a threat he was telling everybody ‘shut up’ or this is what we will do again.”

With that kind of attitude, how could there be a constitution in Fiji that was fair and just for everyone? Datt asked.

Returning to parliament on June 20,

opposition leader Jai Ram Reddy said

“Opposition members felt we’d made our point. The issue was not fundamental

enough to justify an indefinite boycott.

We’ll just carefully have to watch developments.” Reddy said Indian par ties also had decided to end their protest in the interest of Fiji’s economy and for the sake of the planned review of the country’s 1990 constitution. FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry said the prime minister’s comments had been insensitive and arrogant. “It was our duty to stage

a protest.”

Rabuka’s outburst came during de bate on a bill proposing community work as an alternative to imprisonment in

Fiji’s crowded jails. Some blamed Fiji’s

1990 constitution for the high levels of crime, he said. “Is it the constitution or is it the distribution of wealth in this nation?” Rabuka pointed to a recent speech by Fiji President Ratu Sir Kami sese Mara, who warned poor, urban Fijians could become a destabilising force in Fiji if their situation was not improved.

Fiji’s Indians, while politically disad vantaged, represent the bulk of the business class in Fiji and make up 45 per cent of its population. “Let us look at the distribution of wealth in this country,”

Rabuka told parliament. “Why are

others coming up and rebelling against

society and against the laws of this

country?

“They (Fijians) feel disadvantaged.

They feel they are starving. They may look well but their very soul is starving.

“As long as that happens, I cannot guarantee nor can anyone guarantee that there will not be another coup in this land.” Rabuka later denied he was threatening the Indian community. □