Page 15 - IB April 24

Cover Cover

So then, what made you go to Parliament eventually?
Curiosity?
No. I got a call from Parliament. You see, we were part of
the government coalition at that time. We were part of the
Fijian Association Party (led by the late Adi Kuini Speed). The
Fiji Labour Party was our main coalition partner, and then
there was the Christian Alliance. And you may recall or may
not, there was a split in the Fijian Association [Party] and
there were two factions. I was in the faction that thought
that we should not go into coalition. There was an ideological
reason for the split [because the party had campaigned on
behalf of iTaukei voters] but then again, there were some
members who came with us only because they were not given
seats in Cabinet.

Because your voters had given you a certain mandate.
Well, we were campaigning on the [indigenous] Fijian
manifesto and to go into the [coalition] complicated things.
Mine was more a principled position because we were a
[indigenous] Fijian party and all those people went in on Deposed Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, reunited with his wife Virmati, and
their granddaughter, Sonia, after 56 days in captivity. Photo: Supplied (IPI Global
[indigenous] Fijian votes. And then, here we are, going into Journalist) / Brian Cassey, Associated Press
[a coalition with the Fiji Labour Party] and people probably
accused us of being opportunists. But the Christian Alliance
was a coalition partner with Labour before they went into to understand that it was not a one-sided ethnic policy?
the election in the same way that the People’s Alliance and Because there were also iTaukei farmers involved.
National Federation Party were coalition partners before they Yes, and I think when you try and pull the wool over
got into [government], whereas with us, it was more like other people, that’s when they feel that they have been
SODELPA (Social Democratic Liberal Party). hoodwinked. But going back to your question of whether
Chaudhry was given fair media coverage, I was no longer in
So, did you feel that the rights of indigenous Fijians were the mainstream media at that time. I had moved on. But the
under threat from the Coalition government of then Prime politicians have their views and they’ll feel that they have
Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry? been done badly by the media. But that’s democracy. That’s
Perhaps if Chaudhry was allowed to carry on, it could have the way things worked out.
been good for [indigenous] Fijians. I remember the late Pacific journalism educator, David Robie, in a paper in
President and Tui Nayau [Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara] … in a few 2001, made some observations about the way the local media
conversations I had with him, he said it [Labour Party] should reported the Speight takeover. He said, “In the early weeks
be allowed to....[carry on]. of the insurrection, the media enjoyed an unusually close
relationship with Speight and the hostage takers.” He went
Did you think at that time that the news media gave on to say that at times, there was “strong sympathy among
Chaudhry enough space for him to address the fears of the some journalists for the cause, even among senior editorial
iTaukei people about what he was trying to do, especially for executives”.
example, through the Land Use Commission? David Robie is an incisive and perceptive, old-school
I think the Fijians saw what he was doing and that probably journalist who has a proper understanding of issues and I
exacerbated or heightened the concerns of [indigenous] do not take issue with his opinion. And I think there is some
Fijians and if you remember, he gave Indian cane farmers validity. But you see, I was on the other [Speight’s] side. And
certain financial privileges. it was part of my job at that time to swing that perception
from the media.
$10,000 grants to move from Labasa, when the ALTA
(Agricultural Landlord and Tenants Act) leases expired. Are Did you identify with “the cause” and did you think it was
you talking about that? legitimate?
I can’t remember the exact details of the financial Let me tell you in hindsight, that the coup was not justified
assistance but when they [Labour Party] were questioned, and that is after a lot of reflection. It was not justified and
they said, ‘No, there were some Fijian farmers too’. There could never be justified.
were also iTaukei farmers but if you read in between the
lines, there were like 50 Indian farmers and one Fijian farmer. When did you come to that conclusion?
It was after the period in Parliament and after things were
Was there enough media coverage for the rural population resolved and then Parliament was vacated, I took a drive

Islands Business, April 2024 15