Sitiveni Rabuka‘s Coalition partners – the NFP and SODELPA – are clearly reflecting the views of their supporters in refusing to back his plan for a new constitution by Christmas. But he doesn’t care about them. He is intent of bludgeoning his partners into submission by threatening to expel them from the cabinet.
It is sheer thuggery and a sign of how desperate Rabuka has become as his plans unravel in the face of the demand by the RFMF for the removal of the immunity chapter in the draft constitution and the retention of FICAC.
Rabuka is putting on a brave face by maintaining that the RFMF will do as it’s told and fall into line if these provisions are retained. But if he was that confident, why did he delay the third reading of the Constitution Amendment Bill for a month?
As someone who has seized power twice before at gunpoint, Rabuka surely doesn’t need to be reminded of Mao Zedong‘s famous adage that power ultimately comes out of the barrel of the gun. His bravado is fooling nobody. And the more he says that the RFMF is subservient to him and the nation has nothing to fear, the more the national temperature is rising.
Yet it is one thing to try to face down the RFMF Commander, Major General Ro Jone kalouniwai, over what the Commander is telling people privately is his non-negotiable position. Rabuka has no right whatsoever to threaten democratically-elected politicians in his coalition who are giving voice to the concerns of those who put them there.
The NFP and SODELPA have every right to oppose the fast-tracking of a new Constitution when that is the overwhelming sentiment of the nation expressed by every political party other than the People’s Alliance and almost every section of civil society. And to threaten to expel them from the government is outrageous and a naked assault on democracy.
Rabuka needs to be very careful. Because if he pushes the nation and its elected representatives too far, sentiment will build that perhaps those urging the RFMF to take a tougher line with the government are right. Because what is the point of democracy if it is throttled by a leader acting without a proper mandate and getting what he wants by buying off former opposition MPs with cabinet positions.
We don’t have a democracy in Fiji if elected politicians are threatened and intimidated. And Rabuka is now skating on very thin ice.
He needs to heed the call of the New Generation Party, for one, to abandon his determination to ram a new constitution down the nation’s throat (see below). They are what he isn’t – a new generation of politicians who are demanding proper transparency and accountability in the governance of Fiji. And the recent opinion poll by the Centre for Democracy and Dialogue tells us their message is starting to resonate more widely.
Rabuka the old dinosaur better get back in his box. He scraped into power with the barest of margins – just one vote on the floor of the parliament – but is behaving like a typical third world dictator. And if he doesn’t get a grip, he is destined to go the way of the dinosaurs.
Yep, extinction.
The more he says we have nothing to fear, the more fearful we are bound to become.
Rabuka can only get this through with the opposition turncoats he bought off with cabinet positions.
But he better watch out because a new generation has emerged in Fijian politics intent on hunting dinosaurs.
Yeah right. Preaching democracy, behaving like a dictator.
Remember back in 2022 Rabuka went to India to have knee xray/ surgery and told the media the Indian Army invited him? When RFMF questioned him, he lied and blamed Sakiasi Ditoka. Thats CONMAN LIAR Rabuka.
When manipulator turns thug, they are unravelling and losing their composure.
Whilst intent on projecting an image that this is the “people’s constitution,” this latest thuggery makes it bleeding obvious that the people have little say in this CON-stitution.
This is very clearly the thugs’ constitution.
Events over coming months will perhaps be a little too interesting and I look forward to reading your commentary on them daily. No more holidays for you for a while – though I hope your health stays strong!
The RFMF is “subservient” to the constitution of 1997 and subsequent ones?
Lest we forget, the same RFMF acted unlawfully in 2000 and 2006 under those very constitutions to overthrow the government.
Rabuka is an ex-military officer and knows the RFMFs submission was not done merely to be “considered” and is instead more a “directive” to the government to meet its demands. There is no “if you don’t like what we’ve asked, then we’ll go away and talanoa around the kava bowl” line in their submission.
Rabuka believes the RFMF is going to be subservient. To him. Qarase’s minister for home affairs, as well as the police commissioner at the time (Hughes) also believed the same thing and we all know how that went.
The people of Fiji are watching this situation between the military and the government play out with bated breath and a lot of them are probably hoping the military will step in to protect the current constitution. Investors are also watching this space carefully so Rabuka needs to be aware for once, that his actions are going to have a domino effect in multiple directions.
Rabuka may be trying to put up a brave face, sound confident and give the impression he is still in control, but the dynamics around him tell a different story.
His military like threat to his coalition partners underscores the basic chemistry of the guy. He is a big bully and if we thought Bainimarama was bad, this fellow must take the cake.
The only difference is he has established himself as inconsistent, flip-flopper, liar and one who can never be believed or trusted. One wonders who is advising him! Maybe the expert constitutional ‘expert’ who is trying to strengthen his own CV.
He is determined to proceed with the $20m referendum when the rural communities in the north and west are crying out for water which is impacting livelihoods, health, crops, livestocks and their basic survival. While his Ministers have gone around the world with the usual rhetoric on climate change, which will no doubt continue in Türkiye, the government has failed to provide a water tank to every household, which has suffered the scourge of drought, year in year out. This time it is likely to be even more pronounced with the super El Nino making its impact felt.
Yet, we have squandered tens of millions of climate finance in talk fests, taking hundreds of officials and Ministers to COPs and other meetings.
His arrogant disregard for processes, protocols and complete insensitivity to the communities’ views is startling. His Foreign Minister Dikota arrogantly announced today that they will ignore the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee, chaired by Hon Lenora, to sign the Vuvale Treaty and deal with the important issues raised afterwards. is this a joke?
Maybe his desire to ensure the Vuvale money flows to enable him spend the excessive amounts to fast track constitution review and referendum has completely clouded their judgement. And they are ready to sell Fiji’s sovereignty. Maybe he thinks he is Fiji’s Trump card!
It is clear Rabuka has long outlived his usefulness and the longer he stays in power, the more dangerous he is to the nation. Wake up Fiji.