With the advent of Fiji’s new government, has come much relief and joy.
The announcement of a tripartite coalition after days of negotiation amidst national angst, brought an immediate groundswell of hope and support for change and new beginnings.
Fiji – after 16 years of oppressive rule in which the views of the people were seldom sought and their opinions brushed aside – emerged into a new day with the promise of a government which would listen and care.
Celebratory cheering, singing and fireworks erupted nationwide as the heavy cloak of oppression was lifted from the country’s shoulders. The infectious mood was transmitted through social media throughout the land.
But despite the joy and positivity, a vein of anger, and indignation runs just below the surface of the nation’s skin.
As the celebrations subsided and the time came to move on with the task of building a new Fiji, that vein began to throb.
Over close to two decades, depression, anger, pain, and injustice caused by ill-treatment, corruption and favouritism without the opportunity to protest through the media or on the streets, have taken hold in hearts and minds.
And in self-righteous indignation, people have taken the opportunity of a free media to hit out at enemies – perceived and real – in an effort to assuage the pain of the past.
There have been calls for summary dismissals, and termination of contracts believed to have been handed out as favours by the two military governments over which Frank Bainimarama and Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum presided, before their eight years of elected rule.
It is true that a privileged few benefitted from the rule of these two men while the masses were silenced with coins from the national coffers. In effect, taxes were used to keep the taxpayers silent and blind to the failure of the government to follow due process.
Once the nation became aware of the fact, change was inevitable, as was the anger felt by so many people.
To its credit, the coalition government has called for calm and attempted to unify the nation, offering a hand of friendship to Bainimarama. He has been treated with respect – a trait glaringly absent in his persona and government.
For many, a change in government is a time of reckoning, revenge and settling old scores.
When Bainimarama seized power for the second time in December 2006 – his first coup was the removal of President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara; in 2000 – he immediately removed all permanent secretaries.
A purge of the Civil Service and statutory bodies saw the loss of millions of dollars in investment in human capital and institutional knowledge.
Arbitrary arrests and torture by police and the army saw people killed, hospitalised and traumatised.
Jobs were lost and families plunged into financial distress, some losing homes and savings for daring to speak against a regime which claimed to have a mandate to end corruption but which changed legislation without consulting the people.
It is understandable that people would want change and revenge. And they want it immediately.
But true change, beneficial to the nation, must follow due process as provided for in the Constitution.
By treating Bainimarama, Khaiyum and their sycophants in the despicable and loathsome manner in which they treated people perceived as anti-regime, the nation becomes no better than them.
If Fiji is to emerge anew as a nation in which all people are treated with respect, where all faiths and creeds are tolerated and all children have the opportunity to be educated and find employment, it must follow the rule of law.
Beneath the surface, the nation remains divided.
To bridge that divide, there must be a willingness to reconcile and put aside the bitterness of the past. For that to happen, Fiji must:
Allow due process to take place;
- Ensure that all alleged crimes and corrupt practices are thoroughly investigated;
- Provide a platform for the nation to address its fears and misconceptions;
- Introduce cross cultural and religious teaching in our schools to promote understanding and tolerance
Social service providers like the Scouts and Guides associations, the Red Cross and Saint John Ambulance Brigade can be reintroduced in schools to encourage teamwork, civic responsibility and character building.
While these may be simple methods, it is important to recognise that some of the wounds of Fiji’s volatile political past remain unhealed. There are wounds which pre-date independence.
Fiji stands at a unique juncture in its history. The people of this diverse nation crave healing and direction.
Its coalition government, comprising a plethora of political views, has the perfect opportunity to create a truly united nation if it can look beyond self-interest and focus on bi-partisanship and inclusivity.
Fiji’s people also need to look into the future and envision a nation in which all people are treated with respect and dignity, a country in which all people feel at home.
This is a time for Fiji’s people to be completely honest about their fears, weaknesses and struggles. By being open, people will find they are not alone.
And it is in that realisation that they can move forward together.
