Politics
Qarase And Chaudhry Back Talking Again
What's happening between Qarase and army chief
April was a month of foreboding for Fiji Islanders who suspect that the nature of their future in the country depends on the recovery of real political stability, with no more coups, whether by the army or glory and fortune-hunting crooks.
There was alarm about a flare up of public antagonism early in the month between Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and his predecessor, Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry, deposed by a coup in May 2000.
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They slung mud at each other, accusing each other of racism among other faults, to the despair of anyone of the opinion that Fiji's future is dependent on the healing of a rift between indigenous Fijians and the descendants of settlers from India, rendered wider and uglier by the coup.
In June, a high court of probably five judges is due to decide whether Chaudhry is right in asserting that the Fiji Constitution entitles his party to seven or eight places in Qarase's 21-member cabinet‹a union Qarase says that his disagreements with Chaudhry would make it "unworkable."
If the court, as expected, rules in Chaudhry's favour, what then? Qarase says he will accept the ruling. Will he then try joint rule with Chaudhry?
Or go for an election that would continue the stalemate? Or will Chaudhry declare that having won his point, he'll accept the role of Opposition Leader so far rejected by him?
On April 18, the two leaders issued a joint statement saying they'd met, and would continue to meet for "constructive and useful" discussions on such politically sensitive issues as land tenure, salvaging the dying sugar industry, a multiparty cabinet and "the idea of a government of national unity."
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That news broke as a mighty relief, but as the month aged a possibly more perilous irritant developed. What was happening between army commander Frank Bainimarama and a government he more or less put in power?
Months before, there were strong rumours that the government wanted to ease Bainimarama out of the army with the offer of an ambassadorship. But, Islands Business was told the army commander refused to budge until the court martials of mutineering soldiers were complete. Early in April, media reports that Bainimarama's contract due to expire at the end of this year, would not be renewed, were not denied.
Then quite detailed and consistent stories began circulating that Bainimarama was resisting government pressure, exerted through the president, to "go easy" on the prosecution and sentencing of the mutineers.
Bainimarama was said to have warned the government that the army would intervene should the government "go easy" on the investigation and prosecution of the "real" people‹said to be influential businessmen and politicians‹who had used George Speight, now serving a life sentence for treason, as a figurehead.
Army statements denied these stories and Qarase flatly denied a report that Bainimarama had written saying that he (Qarase) should resign if Chaudhry wins his constitutional case.
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Yet another persistent story was that hearing of the preparation of a pardon for Speight. Bainimarama had warned of intervention if any attempt was made to release the convicted traitor from imprisonment on a former public picnic island near Suva.
On April 24, local radio stations reported that army officers and home affairs officials had met that day to discuss the reduction of the sentence for convicted mutineers due to "inconsistencies". Three officers drew life terms while others got from 18 months to tens years. The next day one station, FM96, said that Dr Nacanieli Goneyali, permanent secretary to President Ratu Josefa Iloilo, confirmed that the meeting had occurred and had broken down, But he did not want to confirm reports that talks had been broken off by Bainimarama.
Quoting "well informed sources", the station said the army wanted to build relations with the public and preserve its credibility.
A warrant officer used by the army as its press spokesman told Islands Business that no such meeting had happened, although there had been another meeting, and that reports of a rift between the army commander and the government were "not from us."
