pn 782. Fiji’s Politicians – "Narrow, opportunistic and uncaring!" by Rajendra Prasad in Auckland

The wolves of Fiji politics have again found the bone of racism to tear the nation. To some the amendments to iTaukei Land Trust Act (see also pn768) represented progression and to others, imbued in politics of ethnicity, an opportunity to stir the hive of racism for political gains.

 This is likely to become a regular feature of Fiji politics, as the 2022 election draws nearer. If one reflects on the history of elections in Fiji, politics of race is at its ugliest just before every election when indigenous Fijian leaders allude to it unfailingly, demonizing Indo-Fijians as a threat to indigenous Fijian land ownership, culture, customs and traditional rights.

The fear so created has galvanized indigenous Fijian unity, which translated to block voting for the so-called champions of indigenous Fijian rights and interests. Behind this façade, they hoodwinked their trusting and devoted followers to vote for them to fight the (non-existent!) Indo-Fijian threat.

Racial politics

Though the issue has not generated as many racial overtones they expect it to rise to a crescendo as the election date draws nearer. In the aftermath, race relations will plummet to dangerous levels, as Indo-Fijians become the innocent victims of racial hatred and anger from the Taukei. 

Fiji is caught in this vicious cycle, History shows that once those who propagate the supposed Indian threat are voted for at successive elections, they immediately discard the devilish robes promoting racial hatred, anger and malice,  and replace them with saintly robes, advocating unity, love, tolerance and forgiveness!

This has been the cycle for successive Fiji elections going back to the mid-sixties which marked the dawn of party politics. Since then, indigenous Fijian leaders have never changed their approach to electioneering. The negative impact on race relations has been disastrous, as the festering wound of racism is never allowed to heal. It would seem Fiji is set to travel the familiar path yet again during the 2022 election and the opposition against Land Bill 17 is the introductory salvo, portending the rough passage ahead.

Bill demonized

On the face of it, Land Bill 17 has been cruelly demonized. Government erred in its lack of consultation with the landowners but the intent, unquestionably, is noble. The Land Bill 17, in no way, diminishes the power or authority of the landowners.  but those who routinely oppose anything the Government does, have  stirred the familiar stew pot once again to give rise to emotions, projecting the Government as anti-Taukei and pro-Indo-Fijians. 

Added to this, another slogan, clamouring for indigenous rights, would soon resonate across the nation. It is a meaningless slogan but one that ignites emotions tied to self-pity and victimhood, which can never be justified as the Bainimarama government, as previous governments, always comprised the indigenous Fijian majority. Even the ill-fated, one-year-old Chaudhry government, demonized as an Indian majority government, had twelve indigenous Fijians out of eighteen in the cabinet.

Delusional propaganda

In essence, the propaganda is manifestly wrong and ludicrous and yet it gains resonance with those who prefer to see themselves as victims of oppression. Rightly, it should be Indo-Fijians who qualify for such protestations being shunted to the periphery by successive governments and yet they have, throughout history, shown remarkable forbearance in accepting second-class citizenry where racial discrimination and marginalization reduced them as objects of insignificance. 

However, things have improved, at least on the surface, since the 2006 military takeover of the Qarase Government, which seemingly gave equality, dignity, common identity with a promise of a ‘true democracy’. It is a forsaken dream, left to fools to amuse and delude themselves, living in hope surrounded by mystery.

Fake democracies

The majority of modern-day democracies the world over do not live up to their noble precepts: truncated and decoyed authoritarianism unashamedly flourish.

 Indeed, authoritarianism remains a core value of successive Fijian governments, following independence, but they differed in their intensity, being strong, under the chiefs from 1970-1987 to more authoritative subsequently when the Great Council of Chiefs' power regressed and the Fijian Army progressed, usurping the GCC role in Fiji politics.

In its progression, the GCC lost its pre-eminent place in Fiji politics and was dissolved in 2012. The Fijian Army is now the arbiter that decides who heads and controls Fiji’s beleaguered democracy.

Political opportunism

While the indigenous Fijian leaders grasp any opportunity, concerning land issues, the Indo-Fijian leaders remain chronically attached to the sugar industry. The votes of  Indo-Fijian sugarcane farmers have consistently helped many get elected to the Parliament. 

Political opportunism drives most to irrationality, as their parochialism and partisanship, make them maintain a changeable stance on most issues. The proposed amendments to the Land Bill 17 were marginally better for the tenants but not one Indo-Fijian leader from the opposition spoke in its favour. Yet, the majority of the tenants are Indo-Fijians. On balance, the amendments also favour the landowners, as their land becomes more attractive for leasing and development, which raises its capital and rental values.

Sugar politics

The Indo-Fijian leaders are inextricably caught in the politics of the sugar industry as if this is all that matters to Fiji. History testifies that Indo-Fijian leaders are high on volume and promises but low on delivery. 

One had promised $100 per tonne guaranteed price to sugarcane farmers during the 2018 election whereas the Government offered $85 per tonne. How they could have or would have fulfilled the $100 per tonne price for sugarcane beggars’ belief. 

Currently, Fiji is struggling to meet the shortfall from the forecast price, which hovers around $53 per tonne, based on the price of sugar on the world market. Once this price was announced, it became the incendiary fodder for the ‘champions’ to denounce the Government and ask it to pay the guaranteed price.

Tough times

Everyone knows, Fiji is going through tough economic times because of COVID-19 raging across the nation. For Fiji to survive this crisis, drastic austerity measures need to be introduced to save it from social and economic collapse. The politicians know this but being addicted to politics of opportunism, reasons do not matter. They continue to play with people’s feelings and emotions to gain votes. Fiji is dangerously treading the path of self-destruction and Fiji’s politicians must show understanding, wisdom and maturity to collectively guide the nation away from economic meltdown.

Adversarial to consensual politics

Unfortunately, Fiji has embedded itself in adversarial politics, the hallmark of the Westminster system, so deeply and so dangerously that it cannot re-invent itself.

The opposition members feel that it is their bounden duty to oppose everything the Government does or proposes. In return, the Government is contemptuous towards them. 

However, in a break from tradition, opposition member, Mosese Bulitavu, aptly showed what Fiji needed. He publicly supported the proposed land amendments saying they would benefit the landowners, tenants and the nation.

Others should follow his lead. Fiji must move away from the disastrous adversarial politics of the past to consensual politics, using the talanoa medium. Amusingly, Fiji gleefully exported ‘talanoa’, as the supreme art of resolving issues through dialogue and discussion.

Sadly, it cannot practice what it preached to the world. The real problem we have in this world is that preachers abound but practitioners are few!

God bless Fiji!

Rajendra Prasad is a former Town Clerk of Ba and author of Tears in Paradise – Suffering and Struggles of Indians in Fiji 1879-2004 and Enslaved in Paradise – A History of Mammoth Betrayals of Fijians by the British, Chiefs and Leaders of Fiji 1876-2006. The views expressed are that of the author and not necessarily of this blog.