As last week’s elections resulted in a hung parliament, ethnic tensions threw law and order in Fiji in disarray.
Supporters of Frank Bainimarama, a former military Chief who seized power in a 2006 coup and held the post of the Prime Minister for the last 16 years, are out to disturb any peaceful transition to power in case the opposition parties cobble a coalition to form a new government.
The ethnic tensions started in Fiji as Bainimarama’s Fiji First Party lost its majority in the election winning only 42.5 per cent of vote while a new coalition was formed by the main political rival Sitiveni Rabuka who called for him to concede.
Rabuka’s People Alliance Party won 36 per cent of vote, its coalition partners in the hung parliament the National Federation Party won 9 per cent and the Social Democratic Party (SODELPA) won 5 per cent.
On December 20, 2022, the People Alliance Party secured the support of SODELPA, forming the winning coalition with 50 per cent vote to form the new government in Fiji.
Bainimarama’s supporters are unhappy with the election results despite its peaceful conduct and observers ruling out any irregularities.
Fiji’s election was watched by a Multinational Observer Group — an organisation made up of 16 countries, including Australia, the largest donor to the South Pacific — as well as Pacific Islands Forum and the Melanesian Spearhead Group. The observer group found the elections free.
Bainimarama’s denial to concede and step down to allow a peaceful transition of power to a new government on the pretext of ethnic tension does not hold water.
Instead of allowing a transfer of power to the winning coalition, the sitting Prime Minister has deployed military citing ethnic tensions and violence. But others dispute saying that ethnic tensions have not been manifested in this election.
Fiji’s transition to a new government through a democratic election would mark the first time in more than two decades that the country has changed its leadership by people’s verdict in election.
Although the leader of the coalition Rabuka has been able to form a winning coalition, Fiji First General Secretary and the government’s caretaker Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum called into question the validity of the coalition on December 21, pointing out disagreements in SODELPA over its decision to join the coalition.
The election of next Prime Minister of Fiji through a democratic process would be a historic opportunity for the country to come out of the past eras of military dictatorship.
This is first time that the observers have pointed the elections as free. In the past, it was not so even if elections were conducted.
Despite Fiji’s democratic elections in 2014 and 2018, Freedom House classified the country in 2022 as “party free”. It noted that while freedoms have improved since 2014, Bainimarama government “frequently interferes with opposition activities, the judiciary is subject to political influence, and military and political brutality is a significant problem”.
This is a historic opportunity for Fiji to set in a democratic era which it should not miss. The country is a regional leader in the pacific due to its central location, relative size and international role ranging from peace keeping to climatic change action. It is a hub of regional diplomacy. The stability and balance in the Indo-Pacific region would much depend on Fiji’s strength or vulnerability as well as response to the increasing competition between China and the US for strategic leverage. A dictator would be easy to handle for the competing parties, especially China for geo-political leverage at the cost of people of Fiji and development of the nation. This is why setting up a democratic government in the country is necessary as it would be accountable to people.
Today, one of the main concerns about Fiji among global powers is China’s increasing footprints in the country to enhance its strategic outreach. China got ample time to build its strategic presence in the country since 2006. After Bainimarama’s coup in 2006, Australia, New Zealand and the US imposed travel bans on Fijian government officials and suspended security assistance and direct financial assistance to the country. Fiji was also expelled from the Commonwealth and the PIF.
China got a free space to expand its footprints till 2014 when Bainimarama was democratically elected and Fiji’s relations with the Commonwealth, Australia, New Zealand, the US and the PIF were normalised.
Now, it is being surmised by many that China had interest in keeping Bainimarama in control. In fact some coverages of the 2022 election have framed Bainimarama as a pro-China candidate and Rabuka as the opposition. In August, Rabuka ruled out signing a bilateral security pact with Beijing if elected, probably seeking to reassure regional partners concerned about China’s engagement. Beijing has been persuading Fiji through covert and overt channels for such an agreement.
As a sovereign nation Fiji has every right to engage with any country for development, peace and prosperity. During 2005 and 2007, Beijing increased aid to Fiji from $1 million to $167 million and today Fiji has become the largest recipient of Chinese assistance among all the countries of the Pacific region. China has become the second largest donor to Pacific region after Australia. If the promise of $4 billion of assistance to the pacific region in 2017 is realised, Beijing will replace Australia as the largest donor.
Nobody bothers about economic cooperation with Pacific countries as they need it for development. However, no government in Fiji would risk its relationship with the regional partners including one led by Bainimarama in case it happens so, by signing a security pact with China. Analysts point out that China is ramping up its presence in Indo-Pacific countries as part of its aspiration to be a global power. It resorts to cheque book diplomacy to win the trust of the recipient countries but eventually ends up in exploiting natural resources and extracting strategic benefits at the cost of people, environment and stability.
The dictators anywhere lack accountability to people whereas democratically elected governments do have. For this reason, the democratic process must throw an accountable leadership in Fiji for the good of country and its people. Fiji should not slip again into dictatorship or its proxy.
(This article has been published via a syndicated feed with a modified headline)
