(-) "The Horrifying Consequences of the Coup": Narsey

In an April 15th memorial lecture for the late Rev. Paula Niukula (The Struggle for Just Wages in Fiji Lessons from the 2009 Wages Councils and the Continuing Coups), USP Economics Professor Wadan Narsey (photo, L, with Richard Naidu, R) discusses the "horrifying consequences of the 2006 military coup, including the utter collapse of the economy, greater unemployment and massive increase in poverty." He also gives his opinion on those supporting the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution, the Indo-Fijian community "intellectual gutted by emigration"; the "short-sighted" leadership of Chaudhry's Fiji Labour Party (FLP); the "steadfast ... support of constitutionality and law and order by the National Federation Party (NFP); and predicts that "in the not too distant future, for their own preservation, the Fijian Military hierarchy will rejoin and support the body politic of the indigenous Fijians". All of which gives room for serious thought.

For those unfamiliar with Waden, he is probably Fiji's most eminent academic economist; a long-standing NFP supporter and opponent of the FLP; and the brother-in-law of Prof. Brij Lal, one of the architects of the Reeves Report that resulted in the adoption of the 1997 Constitution. To read the lecture in full, click here.
P.S. My correction and apologies for the underlined. See post 6 May My Sincere Apologies to Prof. Wadan Narsey.