Page 10 - IB June July 2024

Politics Politics

Fiji’s Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka in meditation at the International Yoga Day in Suva in June. Photo: Government of Fiji Facebook
EYES WIDE SHUT

By Richard Naidu MPs, who in turn refused to step down. As the matter
escalated to the Registrar of Political Parties, who ordered
Eighteen months after the end of 16 years of Fiji’s notorious that the party include a dispute resolution clause in its
two-man rule, the country’s political landscape is in the constitution, all the party’s officials and founding members,
middle of another seismic shift. including former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and
The former ruling FijiFirst Party (FFP), relegated to the former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, resigned. The
Opposition benches after losing the 2022 general elections by party was eventually deregistered in July.
a whisker, is suddenly non-existent after it was deregistered The party’s surprise wipeout appears to have cleared the
for failing to amend its constitution to include a dispute way for Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to press ahead with
resolution clause in line with the requirements of Fiji’s plans for a broader governing coalition he has been reportedly
Political Parties Act. The saga began with 16 of its 26 Members contemplating some time.
of Parliament defying a party directive in May to vote against
the government side to restore post-COVID-19 pay cuts to the Constitutional review
Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and increased salaries After Bainimarama was jailed for one year in May for
and benefits of Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, and obstructing a police investigation while in power, Rabuka was
the Speaker of Parliament. said to be waiting for the verdict in the (still ongoing) trial of
The passage of the motion through Fiji’s Parliament sparked Sayed-Khaiyum on abuse of office charges before he pushed
public outrage while once gain rocking the governing Coalition ahead with pulling the Opposition into a grand coalition.
apple cart. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka threatened to take That could have seen him get numbers for a review of Fiji’s
action against Coalition partner, the National Federation 2013 Constitution, entrenched by the former ruling pair with a
Party (NFP) for voting against the motion while Parliamentary review requirement for a 75% Parliamentary majority, as well
Emoluments Committee Chairperson, Lynda Tabuya launched the support of three quarters of registered voters.
into a public tirade against NFP leader, Professor Biman The obvious concern in an expanded governing Coalition
Prasad, who is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance. arrangement is that “the lack of a viable opposition is a great
FijiFirst Party executives decided to sack its 17 revolting worry for a parliamentary democracy”, as Professor Steven

10 Islands Business, June/July 2024