The coalition government, having been power for just over 6 months now is starting to see various cracks appear in its frameworks. Keeping aside the blind faith of its supporters who flood the pages of anyone who is not a coalition supporter on Facebook with racist and veiled threats, I chose to start this page and hopefully maintain it as a log of things happening in the country.
It is shocking that people who do not support the coalition are being treated in such a manner and not allowed to support the party of their choice. It is even more shocking that the government continues to hide behind these people and use it as a yardstick to justify their continued ethnic cleansing of the senior non-Fijian leaders in government and statutory organizations. If Africa is anything to go by, this is just the beginning and the claims that SLR is a reformed man is a sheer barefaced lie. For someone who continues to publicly mull over the possibility of amending the constitution without parliament approvals and uses his power to prevent a full opposition lineup, Rabuka is still the old snake of 1987 and will deprive his opponent any opportunity to gain a foothold; sheer brute force and thuggery, commonly seen in basic military tactics.
For Indians, this government is a continuation of the manifest that Rabuka followed in 1987 and with his return to power, it is apparent he intends to complete his racist agenda. While the power of the government rests in the hands of SODELPA, very little is being done by SODELPA to demand any accountability for the actions of Rabuka and Biman. Why is SODELPA choosing to remain quiet? Is it because the racist undertakings of the government in the past 6 months all line up with SODELPA’s demands or is it because the members of SODELPA who are in power know their term is limited to one and are busy filling their pockets to carry them over through retirement?
With the various constitutional issues and breaches happening which are being highlighted by both the opposition members and those that Rabuka’s thugs have removed from their positions of employment, it is apparent this government has been up to no good. In fact, for those who complained the FFP hid things from the people of Fiji, it is nothing compared to the corruption currently underway within government while Rabuka and Biman turn a blind eye. Biman has soiled his hands in more then one way – selling out the Indian community by tolerating the ethnic cleansing underway by Rabuka and by also favoring his wife with $200K in the guise of Girmit celebrations which was given to a falsely registered institution. Yet not a single media outlet has commenced any analysis or investigations of this. It is one of the biggest acts of corruption in the existence of the constitution with Biman not even stepping aside to allow for an independent inquiry to be undertaken. Instead, Biman and Rabuka are busy running after the former AG and PM to ensure they are at least charged and convicted to prevent them from standing in the next general elections.
So, what recourse do those who are being illegally persecuted by the government have? Who do they turn to as their lives are ripped out beneath them? Many have nowhere else to turn to as the civil service has been their life. Many cannot find employment elsewhere as Rabuka ensures every dismissal is done publicly which tarnishes the individuals reputation both locally and abroad.
It is apparent the military has not been deaf or blind to the actions of Rabuka. Rabuka continues to foolishly believe that as an former leader of the RFMF, the military will do nothing while he continues down his racially biased and corrupt path in his quest to complete the vision he had in 1987. The military has long come to recognize Rabuka as a pariah and will not recognize Rabuka as “one of them” given his past history, which included his attempts to take over the military again through a mutiny.
It is also apparent the Commander of the RFMF is aware of moves currently underway to try and remove him from his role. Rabuka is well aware the military will continue showing him allegiance and will not bow to the government of the day, to be shackled and become the informal Gestapo of Rabuka and Biman. This is evident from the Commander’s silence when senior members of the military recently met with the former PM who was also the former Commander of the RFMF; a meeting from which the Commander was notably absent which raises further questions about what was discussed and why it did not warrant the leader of Fiji’s military forces being present.
If Fiji were to undergo another coup at this juncture, it would mean the existing government would undoubtedly be replaced by an interim/caretaker government which would largely be made up of FFP members. Whether the FFP members choose to join the interim government is anyone’s guess but it is highly likely the former PM would acquiesce to the request. The former AG would no doubt be caught in a legally/moral bind but would likely go in to ensure the legalities of the move are formalized and the government is able to function. Naturally, the military has no doubt also factored in the potential violence which could breakout if such an event occurs, ensuring there are sufficient reserves in place to quell any potential unrest.
If such an event occurs, the military also needs to factor in what to do with the current President who would lose his position automatically as well as the fact he is a senior traditional chief who commands a large following. Nonetheless, it is something the military has had to contend with in the past and will have to face this again. It should be remembered the military has sufficient experience with displacing corrupt governments and will do so successfully this time again.
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