A deal between

Interview

A deal between communalists?

The former premier of South Australia, Don Dunstan, was founder of the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in Fiji.

In this interview [edited excerpts] with Kalinga Seneviratne, he expresses reservations about the new constitution.

Dunstan: I'm saddened that the thrust of the Reeves report [Constitution review Commission report] has been set aside.

PIM: Why do you say so?

Dunstan: Because a majority of the seats in the lower house, which forms the gov ernment, will be based on a communal basis, where the Reeves report said a large majority of seats should be on a common roll and open candidancy basis. The communal seats should be small In number, a review taking place as soon as possible. What has hap pened now is that a majority of seats are communal seats. They are not dis tributed strictly in accordance with communal numbers. PIM; You were a founding member of the Movement For

The Restoration of Democracy in Fiji, following the 1 987 coup. Looking back on the last 10 years, do you think democracy has been restored, at least to a certain extent in Fiji now?

Dunstan: I would say this is better than the 1 990 constitution, but it still falls short of what should have been done. And the important point of the Reeves report was that the only way ahead for peace and development in Fiji, was to go for multiracialism and stop dividing the community on a communal basis.

PIM: Prime Minister [Sitiveni] Rabuka and opposition leader Jai Ram Reddy seem to be arguing this will lead to a mul tiracial government in future?

Dunstan: Unfortunately, it won't because the participation in government by Indians and others will be still on a communal basis largely. Sadly, the [National] Federation Party under Reddy adopted communalism. They campaigned on a communal basis and they have been prepared to say, 'Well, if you can't beat them on a communal basis, you join them.' But it's still not proceeding into proper non-racist, multicultural policies.

PIM: So what you are suggesting is that the two main communal parties - the SVT and NFP - have done a deal in that sense?

Dunstan: Yes. ■