pn943. Fiji to have a New Government (UPDATE)

Bainimarama, Rabuka, Gavoka, Prasad

UPDATE. Early returns from Wednesday's election day voting seemed to assure a Fiji First return to power but as the days wore on the party barely increased its share of the vote. Quite possibly the low voter turnout of little more than 50% and the large number of minor parties did not help.(Early claims of low turnout are incorrect. The final turnout was 68.3%, more than the last election. Central Division had the lowest at 65.8%. Western had 68.8%, Eastern 70% by ballot and 75.9% postal, and Northern 73.9%.

Final counting released at 3pm today saw Fiji First with slighly less than the 50% needed and the coalition opposition, People's Alliance and the National Federation Party, with exactly the same share of the vote.  (see table below)

The ultra-nationalist pro-iTaukei SODELPA party is likely to offer its support to the PA-NFP coalition —for a price. Among their non-negotiables are the resurrection of the Great Council of Chiefs and how rent money is paid for iTaukei communal land.

 Given the narrow majority and the sour relations between coalition leader co-leader Sitiveni Rabuka and SODELPA's Wiliame Gavoka, and the narrow 29 seats to 26 majority in the House, Fiji could be in for a turbulent future before the next elections in four year's time. The ideal would be a government of national unity with Fiji First a participant but this is highly unlikely in the short term. 

What is also clear is that Fiji First and Voqere Bainimarama's personal popularity remains high.  It will be interesting to see how they use this in the weeks ahead.

My own views on the Fiji First government have changed over time.  Initially, I was pleased they had replaced the racist and corrupt Qarese government, even though this was achieved by coup but their early promise was soured by ongoing restrictions to civil liberty and media freedom, trade union restrictions and ocasional police intimidaton of those who did not support it. I also had misgivings about the enormous power weilded by the Attorney General Aiyaz Sayeed-Khaiyum, a number of appointments and his influence on PM Bainimarama.  More recently, the expulsion of USP's Vice-Chancellor Prof Pal Ahluwalia and Fiji's refusal to make its annual contribution to the upkeep of the university, I found despicable. Perhaps now the new government will pay the more than F$80 million now owed to the university.

There have, however, been a number of positives. The end of ethnic voting and the demise ot the Great Council of Chiefs are two of them. Land rental money paid to the actual land owner, the mataqali, and not to a hierachy of chiefs is another. Fiji has also played an important regional role, particularly with regards to environmental protection.  They have increased the minimum wage, but not by as much as needed. And education is now free for students aged 6 to 16 and school bus fares are free or subsidized.

They are also a truly bi-racial party. Fifteen of the 26 FF MPs returning to parliament are Indo-Fijians. This compares with only two in the People's Alliance and of course none with SODELPA. NFP has 3 out of 5, including my old student and prominent NGO leader, Sashi Kiran.  Congratulations, Sashi!

-- ACW