In Spite of Mr Speight? Fijis road to the general elections

Abstract

George Speight's seizure of the Fiji parliament on 19 May 2000 now seems like a bad, nightmarish dream. Contrary to all provocations and incentives to violence, Fiji managed, but only just, to retrieve itself from the precipice of national disintegration. A year later, Speight was tried for treason, and is currently serving a seven-year sentence, though moves are afoot to have him pardoned. In August 2001 the country went to the polls, returning Laisenia Qarase's newly-formed Soqosoqo Duavata ni Levenivanua to government with thirty-two seats. The Labour Party, his main rival, won twenty-seven. The holding of the election was an important development, but instead of resolving the country's many deep-seated problems it compounded them. Qarase breached the constitution under which he was elected by refusing to have Chaudhry in a multi-party cabinet. The constitution provides that any political party with more than 10 per cent of seats in parliament is constitutionally entitled to be invited into cabinet. Under a formula provided for in the Korolevu Declaration, Qarase would have twelve cabinet positions and Chaudhry eight. Labour challenged the government's decision. The Fiji Court of Appeal ruled in Labour's favour, but the matter will be settled finally by the Supreme Court in early 2003. Meanwhile, Fiji remains marooned in the shallows. Whether the people of Fiji will accept the verdict of the court, whatever it might be, remains to be seen.