Cover Story
Fiji’s Fragile Peace
Military And Government Impasse Continues As Election Nears
For much of its five-year term in office, Fiji's government led by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase has endured a fractious relationship with its armed forces led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama. The strains in that relationship were brought into stark contrast on January 12th, not by another spat with the government, but by a rift within the military's own ranks that pushed the country to the brink of another crisis and forced the government to seek an end to the long-running dispute.
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Prime Minister
Laisenia Qarase is expected to call elections as early as May. |
That Thursday, one of Bainimarama's senior officers, Colonel Jone Baledrokadroka, confronted him about his public stand-off with the government. That standoff has been over a diverse range of issues from the military's budget and office space to the perception the government was going soft on coup perpetrators through policies such as the controversial Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill, which-when first presented to Parliament-offered amnesty for those involved in the 2000 coup.
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Bainimarama sacked Baledrokadroka as Land Force Commander saying the colonel had mutinied and threatened to shoot him, while Baledrokadroka claimed he confronted the commander to stop him from "committing treasonous acts," fearing he was about to seize control of the country.
Bainimarama ordered a lock down of all military establishments and sent naval patrol boats out into Suva Harbor while the police responded by placing its Tactical Response Unit on full alert.
Rumors spread that the country was on the verge of another coup. And Prime Minister Qarase appealed for calm after meeting with the Acting President, Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi and asking him to settle the impasse with the armed forces' outspoken commander.
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In
late 2005, Commander Frank Bainimarama said “the military is
not answerable to anybody” but he has since agreed to take
his grievances to the Government first.
(Photo: Bruce Southwick/Zoomfiji) |
Whatever the true depth of the coup threat, the developments gave a clear indication of how Fiji's political year was shaping up and renewed speculation that Qarase was gearing up to call for early elections.
The Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua-led government's term ends in October but political sources believe the prime minister may announce elections sooner than expected. And, indeed, that is what the main opposition Fiji Labour Party suspects as well, saying it is bracing for elections in May.
Qarase himself is keeping his cards close to his chest on a poll date. "I have an indication but I won't disclose that right now," he said in early January. In any case, Fiji will go to the poll against a backdrop of almost five years of bickering between the military and the government, fraud linked to the government's affirmative action schemes, an opposition led by former (and ousted) Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry that feels cheated out of leading the country, and persistent allegations of widespread irregularities in the voter-registration process.
For the time being though Qarase, with the intervention of Ratu Joni, has managed to secure a ceasefire in the war of words between the government and the military. A statement issued by Qarase after that meeting outlined concessions made by him and Bainimarama: the prime minister has allowed Bainimarama and Commissioner of Police Andrew Hughes observer status at National Security Council meetings and Bainimarama has agreed to talk to his government masters first before going to the media, something that had become his hallmark.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bainimarama had ratcheted up his outbursts against the government over controversial proposed legislation including the so-called amnesty bill and a bill to give control over fishing rights back to indigenous landowners.
On December 30, he effectively staged a verbal coup saying the army did not recognize Home Affairs Josefa Vosanibola as its minister: "The military now is on its own and is not answerable to anyone."
And in a statement on January 8, Bainimarama threatened to impose martial law if the government refused to change its stance: "If they lack the moral strength and the courage to continue the good fight, the military is willing to return and complete for this nation the responsibilities we gave this government in 2000 and 2001."
It was that statement and an order posted the same day that Baledrokadroka says indicated his boss was about to commit the ultimate crime of treason.
"When we met at the army camp (on January 12) I asked the commander for his resignation on the grounds that it was perfectly clear that he was going to commit treason. He said, no," says Baledrokadroka. "I told him it was either he resign or I resign." Baledrokadroka was told to go, stripped of his commission, and Bainimarama took on the role of Land Force commander, taking sole control of the entire Fiji Military Forces.
But January 12 also seemed to be the turning point in how the country viewed the commander. The Fiji media, and a considerable number of leaders, were generally favourable to him and his stand against the coup-plotters but with his threat to take over, a population fed up with upheaval began to turn against him. An editorial in the next day's edition of The Fiji Times was titled "An aging dinosaur in white" - white being the color of his naval uniform.
The events of those weeks confronted Qarase, who was away when the commander was at his peak in his criticisms, just as he had returned refreshed from three weeks of holidaying at Mavana Village in the Lau Group.
But with that issue now dealt with - at least temporarily, Qarase has other issues to face, not least that of his party's preparations for elections. SDL was undergoing restructuring in January with Jale Baba, its national director moved to become its campaign strategist, among other changes. Baba says SDL has never stopped campaigning and has the experience having gone through four by-elections and two municipal polls.
"We're counting on a bigger margin that we currently have. We have 32 seats at the moment and we're hoping to make that 42," Baba has told Pacific Magazine.
In theory, the prime minister can call elections at any time provided the infrastructure is in place and ballot material ready. But that's where another point of contention lies.
Some, including Baba, have predicted the May or August school holidays because schools are used a polling stations. Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry says he thinks May is the target date.
But Chaudhry remains doubtful about the manner in which poll preparations are being carried out, alleging efforts were underway by the government to rig the elections and suggesting that the voter-registration process was being controlled by the prime minister's office. Chaudhry raised concern about the "huge discrepancies of some 90,000 voters between the Fijian roll and Indian roll." However, Baba rejects the allegations saying the registration process was on-going, and countering that vote-rigging was a "Labor habit". Qarase has stressed that the government had "no direct part in the conduct of elections" and that "it respects the independence of the process."
Provisional electoral rolls should have been ready by the end of January or early February with the final rolls to be ready not long after. That's what to watch out for, political sources say, because once the rolls are ready, the nation can expect elections at a moment's notice.
But whichever government comes to power after the votes are counted, it will have the challenge of a head-strong military on its hands led by a determined man.
