It is both amazing and sobering that Fiji was once so respected in the world that we were held up as a beacon of progress among the developing nations and a beacon of democracy – amazing because it was out of all proportion to our size and importance and sobering because most of that reputation has been lost.
In November 1984, our founding prime minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, became the first Pacific Islands leader to be feted at the White House by a man now regarded as having been one of the great US presidents – Ronald Reagan – who faced down the Soviet empire and ended the Cold War.
This is the official video of that encounter – the small talk that preceded their meeting and the statements afterwards in which President Reagan heaped praise on Ratu Mara and Fiji and publicly thanked us for our contribution to UN peacekeeping and for being a stellar example to other developing nations.
Two and a half years later, all that was lost when Sitiveni Rabuka staged the first of his coups in May 1987 that has plunged Fiji into almost four decades of instability and badly damaged our global image. We were “the way the world should be” – in the words of the visiting Pope John Paul II just six months before the 1987 coup – and the way no democracy should be after that.
As an old saying goes, nostalgia ain’t what it used to be. But it’s worth watching this video to see the stark contrast between Ratu Mara and Sitiveni Rabuka – the man who made a political comeback two years ago but is still presiding over dysfunction in government and a great deal of political turmoil as he tries to complete the agenda of indigenous supremacy he began 38 years ago.
Ratu Mara was a genuine class act. But so was Fiji before the multiracial consensus that underpinned the nation at independence in 1970 was shattered by Rabuka and the sinister forces who were behind him then and are again behind him now.
Under Ratu Mara’s leadership, Fiji was respected and had influence far beyond its size, as President Reagan acknowledges in this clip. Yet under Sitiveni Rabuka, tens of thousands of our best and brightest have fled. Not once, but twice. First in the wake of his 1987 coups and the beatings and rapes that accompanied them and again now as many Fijians realise that he told the mother of all lies before the 2022 election that he had learnt the lessons of ’87 and had changed.
As the 2026 election approaches and Sitiveni Rabuka again asks the nation for its trust, take a look, Fiji, at what we have lost. A man of stature, whatever his flaws, at the helm four decades ago… and now a moral pygmy in a three-piece suit flashing a gold Rolex.
It has been a national calamity. And as we brace for more conflict as Rabuka tries to put an end the common and equal citizenry and common identity provisions of the 2013 Constitution, the four-decade-long nightmare continues.
POSTSCRIPT:
Ratu Mara wasn’t just a respected statesman, prime minister and high chief, he also wrote the lyrics for this beautiful song that has become a Fijian classic.
It’s performed by the renowned Phoenix Choir conducted by the late Sir Josua Rabukawaqa – an equally respected Fijian who was our first post-independence high commissioner to the United Kingdom.
A song inevitably tinged with sadness half a century on. So many lost opportunities.
Written on the back of an airline sick bag. The story of Ciri Koto.
I do not believe Ratu Mara was that great a stalwart as you make him out to be.
I am sure he had a hand in the “events of 14 May 1987”. Before that he had a hand in the events of 1977 when NFP won the election in that year. That was the first coup.
If Ratu Mara was as genuine as you make it out to be, we would not be in the mess we are today. Ratu Mara was best mates with Mac as well. That is very well known. You couldn’t count how many presents were given to him in all those years.
But one thing is without question, our current prime minister is a first class liar and a first rate dickhead.
I said “whatever his flaws”.
Whether he had a “hand in the events of 14 May 1987” is hotly contested. And in 1977, the NFP leader, Siddiq Koya, declined to insist on taking the reins of government. That is uncontested.
Mara was still, inarguably, a class act.
I guess your judgment about Ratu Mara is flawed again. Just like your judgement about Rabuka was before the last election.
Ratu Mara was never a class act. The only reason he was there was because of his chiefly title. He has nothing to show for his 17 years as PM. That is why Fiji is where it is today. He did not build anything. He was like one of those despots in Africa. He only built things in Lau, and now Lau is poverty stricken, just like the rest of Fiji.
There were no race relations, equality etc under Mara. In fact positive discrimination was a big thing under his government. That is how many of the idiots we have now got their degrees. Nothing was on merit at the time. He was definitely not a class act and that will be revealed in good time.
@idiots everywhere: there are times when we as a people must rise above our collective pessimism to salute and acknowledge proudly and patriotically our country’s most distinguished elder stateman by far.
Ratu Sir Kamisese Kapaiwai Tuimacilai Uluilakeba Mara: PURE CLASS.
A true patriot, son, servant of Fiji. Not one leader of Fiji has since come close to Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara’s intellect, statesmanship, and vision for a united multi-racial, multi-religious, and multicultral Fiji.
History records and remembers well his joy, eagerness, commitment, and willingness to advise the Labour party when it won government in 1999 to succeed.
If only the one advice was followed if not at least paid heed to by the Labour PM in 1999, Fiji might well have been in a different place–prosperous, developed, high employment opportunities, and so much more. With far fewer housing problems, land issues, and current poverty levels, cash flight, and brain drain.
Fiji should be ashamed of how we treated Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara in the aftermath of 2000.
Turaga Ratu’s vision, wisdom, and leadership is gone.
His legacy will live on.
Broken Dream – you are very emotional about this man. After 17 long years as PM he failed miserably.
The reality is what it is as we all can see today. No use putting someone on a pedestal who does not deserve to be put there.
The same applies to Ratu Sukuna. Why are the iTaukei living in such poverty when they own 95% of the land and hold all the crucial positions and they had these two graet leaders?
You cannot blame the vulagi for it.
What if they owned 100% of the land and had all the positions and owned all the businesses and there were no vulagi?
Who would you blame then or will they all be driving 4WDs and have money in the bank? Like they do in PNG and in the Solomon Islands.
By the same token, after 16 long years Bai failed miserably as well.
Why? I have said it many times before, because Fijians are idiots – and I do not mean just the iTaukei.
No use imagining about how good Ratu Mara was. I am not one who gets emotional about tradition, culture and respect for old donkeys. I am more a real world type of person. And one more thing – Christianity is not suited to the people of Fiji. It is something that is out of place in this country and all over the Pacific.
“Idiots everywhere”, I think you have said enough. Your constant refrain day in, day out, is that everyone is an idiot except you. It has become like a broken record and beyond tedious.
You are entitled to your opinion but you have expressed it. Ad infinitum.
Well someone has to tell it as it is. Why else would they elect a well known dickhead as pm with so much enthusiasm and ecstasy and exuberance?
Because a supine media and an ineffectual opposition don’t do their jobs and many ordinary people are blissfully unaware of what is going on. That doesn’t makes them stupid. It makes them manipulated by media owners and journalists trying to curry favour with the government so that they don’t know better.
The appropriate response is to surely to try to educate them with information they aren’t being told, not insult them for being idiots when they are being deliberately deceived.
@idiots–wrong again. Ratu Mara steered Fiji to independencr PEACEFULLY when the majority of Fijians, however slim the margin at the time did not wish to leave the Queen and Commonwealth, as it was then.
The Queen and London were looking to Ratu Mara to carry the task according to the outcome of the independence talks.
Ratu Mara did not fail in his steadfast resolve to protect his people and did NOT takeaway anything from other citizens of Fiji.
Ratu Mara had the option to drive a hard, narrow, more restrictive bargain. However the great man remained true to his word. He did not even consider how his people would see him or react. Bravely, he put the Nation first.
Nothing emotional about staying with reality.
As a final reward, his own people wanted to kill him in 2000, threw him out of state house and Suva, the military put him on a navy ship to save his life in Suva harbour.
What a sad, sorry and heartbreaking end the itaukei Fijians chose to thank their high chief for a lifetime of public service.
A true patriot.
In contrast–
Who conducted the second coup 23 September 1987 when Ratu Mara did not go along the path of racism and division and hate?
The corrupt Rolex man
Guess who was the shadow behind 2000?
The corrupt Rolex man.
The mutiny?
The corrupt Rolex man.
Who arrived at delainabua with a full set of military regalia hanging at the back of his SUV?
The corrupt Rolex man.
Who called Ratu Mara at the height of the 2000 mayhem and said: “I’m ready” to which the great statesman replied “ready for what?”
Yes, the shona levu corrupt Rolex man.
Who is solely responsible for the current cesspool Fiji finds itself in?
The corrupt Rolex man.
@Mr. Idiot, we all know your blind obstinacy that would put a real donkey to shame.
You’ve long forced your dumb one-track-mind view “ad nauseam,” we know where you stubbornly stand.
Stop insulting the legacy and contributions of a true statesmanship with unmatched service to his beloved country – the late great Ratu Mara.
You do not and never will possess 0.01% of the intelligence of Ratu Mara.
Stop hectoring. Now sit down.
Some excellent points. Vinaka.
Tell us who you were manipulated by GD, as we all know you did not vote for the previous mob. Was it media manipulation or something else? I think the ‘something else’ is the same reason many others voted the same way. Nothing to do with media manipulation.
Guess what, come 2026, Rolex man will be a shoo in. Not because there is no one else, it is because the people of Fiji will choose him again. That is the reality.
Agree with all the points about Rolex man . So how come they elected the Rolex man again and recycle him.
Pls do not tell me it’s media manipulation. It has more to do with hate and racism. Hate for one man and his religion. That is what has brought us here.
Broken Dream, why doubt you tell us who you voted for? And only then will we know who the real donkey is.
The whole thing is ridiculous.
Nothing to do with the media and the opposition. It has to do with hate and racism and religious prejudice.
And the best part, Trump refused to meet Rabuka.
“The most terrifying words in the English are, ‘I am from the government and I am here to help!”
President Ronald Reagan
Oooops… language*
History is so important, yet much of it is being lost to time or deliberately obscured. It’s amazing to have access to historical footage, preserving moments that might otherwise fade away.
We can still find footage on YouTube of this beautiful song and Ratu Mara meeting Ronald Reagan.
However, what happened to the footage of the 1987 Coup? Some of the most sensational clips seem to have vanished. In particular, content from Journeymen Pictures and the AP (Associated Press) Channel appears to be missing. Why has this crucial historical footage disappeared?
Ratu Mara was a shrewed politician. He calculated his moves and was very close to Gujarati businessmen. They financially backed him and always influenced him not to get the minimum wages in Fiji to increase so that they do not have to pay common indentured Indians and I taukei labourers the right labour price based on cost of living.
This move by Gujarati cunning business people kept Fiji in poverty from 70s to 80s when Fijian economy was growing at a rapid rate. This miscalculated move by Gujarati businessmen in supporting the 1987 coup to oust labour government as they were threatened by labour rights eventually saw the exodus of Indians living Fiji and the Gujarati businesses took nose dive since indentured Indians were major consumers and buyers in that era.
One day before the coup when Ratu Mara was on his final hole playing golf at Pacific Harbour, Rabuka in his book stated that when he informed him about the takeover and repercussions of foreign intervention, Mara stated that he will take care of that. There is strong circumstantial evidence about this since soon after the coup he showed subtle support and later came in as interim PM.
Fiji needs visionary leaders who unite the races, bring its citizens out of poverty, improve hospitals, roads and grow the economy. Fiji does not need racist PM and ministers. Again I reiterate that Fiji is losing its people. Both major races are leaving yet we still hear the same rhetoric. Change the constitution, play race cards, instil fear in itaukei that their land will go to Indians. All this shit is still there as it was during Aliance govt. This land is now idle, people have ran away, there is no rental for iTaukei people.
Fiji needs a good visionary leader and it was also not and definitely NOT Ratu Mara.
And yet we had stability and a degree of racial harmony that we have rarely had since, except when enforced for a period by Frank Bainimarama. Rabuka, on the other hand, has been an unmitigated disaster.
That kid, Mara, is someone who I have no respect for. He wasn’t a good person. Every Fiji Indian knows that Mara supported the 1987 coup. Those who support Mara and say that he was a good person, are supporting the 1987 coup.
Sitiveni will rig the 2026 election and that’s how his party will win.
“Every Fiji Indian?” Is that the sum total of your contribution here? Hearsay and supposition? Seriously.
Every Fiji Indian also blames the British for all their problems. But it doesn’t make it right.
What is right to one will seem wrong to another. Yet the ones who suffer are the ones who have the right to decide the wrong that was done to them. Those carrying out wrong actions will always believe they are in the right. The only way for one to understand someone’s pain is to go through it him or herself. Only then will there be the true understanding of the full scale of suffering.
Those who have not suffered cannot decide the pain of those who suffered. As long as there are those who are wrong and their actions cause others to suffer, there will be those who exist to equally seek justice for their pain and suffering. Crediting those who carried out wrong actions, with honour and respect will be the equivalent of rubbing salt in the wounds of those who suffered.
It then brings into existence from those who suffered, the opposite known as dishonour and disrespect for those who carried out wrong actions. Those who did not suffer will find it easy to honor the wrong. After all, they have no pain. And so they to get disrespected by those who suffered.
Q: How many sons and daughters of Lau revere Ratu Mara?
A: Arguably all.
Q: How many of them also revere Rolex Rabuka?
A: At least the CJ, Speaker and PM’s PS.
By the way, when laws, rules, regulations and policies are blatantly violated, what we get are as today’s newspaper headlines read.
Come on, let us please get our acts together and vote next year for honesty, integrity and fairness. Because the grassroots are suffering more and more as the elites hunger and thirst for, and acquire, more wealth, prestige and stature. As is often said in Lau, one day mafatu!
Mafatu. As in “stout heart”?
You can’t compare a gem (whatever rough edges it may have) to a Coca-Cola bottle lying beside the roadside waiting to be recycled.
At least we all lived a good life under the Mara government, had great stuff in the shops, education system was top notch and Fiji was clean and there was no racism and fear.
When this PM faces God, he will be alone to answer for all his deeds. Or maybe Temo, Siromi, Kamikamica, Baimaan and Lynda will be there beside him to argue his case.
When Rabuka decided to invite himself to the recent breakfast prayer session after Trump’s reelection, all he was able to muster was meetings with shadowy characters of the past like Oliver North and other right wing church and political figures. And of course the Fiji Water billionaire boss who enjoys a special concession from Biman Prasad.
It is a great insult to Ratu Mara’s legacy to compare him to the racist snake Rabuka. His last two years has shown how out of touch he is with global developments and how’s Fiji’s image has plummeted to an all time low, even amongst the Pacific countries. He is a big joke and a huge threat to the fabric of multiracialism, secularism and tolerance the new generation is aspiring to.
Sorry Graham, putting Rt Mara on a pedestal is laughable when he is didn’t really do as much as FRANK BAINIMARAMA (common identity and equal citizenry) in terms of our vibrant racial dynamics,
A wise PM would’ve had the latitude and foresight to understand the impact of our racial dynamics on an economic scale and would’ve offered more protection and identify.
Mara only pandered to confederate power plays while giving the greatest imaginable lip service.
To claim that Ratu Mara didn’t do as much as Frank is quite laughable. Because of Frank and his associate Aiyaz, we now have the current, unfortunate state of government. Had they listened and not been so arrogant, we might not have this dysfunctional government in power today.
Frank Bainimarama did what he did to protect himself. He knew what was coming in 2006, particularly regarding the police investigations into the deaths of the CRW soldiers in 2000. The 2006 coup had nothing to do with equal citizenship or common identity. The initial justification for the coup was to eradicate corruption (an allegation that has yet to be proven) within the Qarase government. However, Bainimarama’s true motive was self-preservation, and he was willing to throw his loyal soldiers under the bus to save himself.
True to form, Frank abandoned his colleagues in Opposition, as well as his voters and supporters, when they needed him most to stand up to the government in Parliament. The same can be said for his associate, Aiyaz. Now, Aiyaz is barking from the outside like a mad dog regarding the changing of the Constitution debate. Why didn’t he stay in Parliament and voice his concerns as an Opposition member? It certainly would have carried more weight. No, like Frank, they were so arrogant that they couldn’t bear to sit on the Opposition side. Had they done so, the FijiFirst Party could have waltzed back into power in 2026, even if they were both behind bars.
I speak of equal citizenry and common identity, considering the crucible of ethnic diversity that we as a country are. A concern that Mara failed to capitalise on.
You’ve veered off a bit, so keeping going until you pass by.
Despite his shortcomings, Ratu Mara was a globally respected leader and a gentle giant in the Commonwealth. He oversaw the transition from a colony to an independent state with aplomb. He had presence and ‘mana’.
Compare this with a globally renowned pariah, a coupist, army renegade and renowned bottle collector and a poser with a shiny watch. No knowledge of nation building or rising above racial politics but an expert in lining his pocket, attending prayer sessions in the US and making an art of telling lies.
The former a hero of the citizens of ‘Fiji the way the world should be’ to the latter, a hero to the GCC and Fiji, the way the world should never be.
Fiji, enjoy while it lasts and only till the world finds out about your constitutional changes to make a slice of your own people second class citizens in the country of their birth and fingers are pointed globally to the re-emergence of constitutional apartheid in the world. South Africa revisited which is evident in the already racially segregated public service. Sanctions perhaps? Pariah state?
Mara ran a nation with what was it, 6 Ministers at the most? 6 capable Ministers. And you dare compare him with this wannabe who has multiple ‘Ministers for Nothing Really’ and gives a Ministerial portfolio to opposition members he entices from across the aisle. Mara ran a country with a better GDP than Singapore in the 60s while this clown now relies on ‘budget boosters’ from foreign countries a la economically depleted African dictatorships.
Do not dare compare.
The coup occured for two reasons.
First Mara hated to lose.
Second Bavadra Govt pledged to uncover corruption in Alliance Govt and many people were afraid.
Rabuka was just the Boy.
Instigator was Mara
Facilitators were Stinson Minister of Finance and Lane Commander of the Navy
If Rabuka stands and wins the next election, he will be president in 2027 , presiding over the 40 th anniversary of his first coup . Explain that to the young people but don’t expect respect .
Is it the Trump effect where a politician can be gifted an extremely expensive watch and no one cares who , what , when where or why not even the journalists?
GD can we shape the future in identifying capable Fijians for PM and ministers to take us forward. Am tired of hearing about these old farts.
Really, nothing would delight me more than to assist new faces willing to take on the burden of national leadership. Hands up please! Someone? Anyone?
Bottom line is the Fijian government are all low class thugs with no brains, far from KKT Mara.
The question is..who’s the least evil of our leaders? I say Mara. But remember..they were and are power hungry politicians who all believe their own bullshit.
Bai and Khai believed that they would rule forever through control and coercion. Rambo the snake thinks he can pull it off. If lawyers academics journalists don’t do their jobs then it eventuates. And yes..let’s not forget the prominent non girmitya business folk. They are in Fiji to enrich themselves by feeding the corrupt in a broken down system.
Graham, this is a well-articulated and insightful piece, resonating deeply with many. Thanks as ever!
The need for a true ‘beacon of democracy’ is more pressing now than ever. We must seek leadership that draws inspiration from the wisdom and strength of past giants, those who shaped our nation’s values. The time for searching for and cultivating such nuanced leadership is not just upon us; it is overdue. We must proactively challenge the chaos and the current parlous state through the very democratic processes we seek to uphold.
Strategic thinking and decisive action are paramount. Remaining with the current leadership trajectory risks perpetuating the same challenges and shortcomings we’ve already witnessed and endured. Every citizen bears the responsibility to engage thoughtfully and fully in the democratic process, exercising their right to shape the future.
True change, the kind our nation and its people deserve, can only emerge when we actively draw upon the inspiration of past leaders to forge a different path from the cadre of leaders who have been tested and found wanting. Stagnation and potential decline await if we fail to do so. Let us, therefore, embark on a diligent search for leaders who embody the principles of integrity, vision, and service, and empower them to lead us towards a brighter future. The time for change is long overdue!
God bless Fiji and our people.
Already Fiji receives its just deserts.
When drug taking, raping, thieving, religious hypocrisy and DV cease, only then will Fiji deserve grace and a better government.
Can we put ‘Idiots Everywhere’ on a timeout? The copy-paste routine is tired, and the constant wading into Fijian topics while assuming everyone’s an idiot is even worse. We get it, mate—you think you’re clever. But surely we can keep things fun without the repetitive spam and casual condescension?