pn945. Fiji's Next Government: it all came down to the vote of two people (UPDATED)

UPDATE. SODELPA's management committee comprises 22 not 30 members. Six should not have have been preesent or voted. The meeting has been declared null and invalid, and a further meeting will be held today.

Well, the decision is made. SODELPA will join the People's Alliance/National Federation Party coalition to form Fiji's next government.

But what an election! 

Only 68% of eligible voters voted and of these 42.55% voted for Fiji First while an equal number voted for PA/NFP combined (35.82 and 8.89%). This left SODELEPA (that just managed to cross the 5% threshold with 5.14% of the votes) to decide which side to join. Should they go with Fiji First whose policies they oppose or would they overcome personal antagonisms with People's Alliance and join the coalition?

After 72 hours of discussions with the protagonists and deliberations their 30-person management team voted 16:14 to join PA/NFP. So, while 53,247 people had voted, the final election result was decided by two people!

SODELPA General Secretary Lenaitasi Duru, still smarting from PA campaign insults, resigned in disgust while former party leader and traditional chief Ro Teimumu applauded the result. 

While SODELPA is clearly a divided party, its three MPs have been instructed to vote with PA/NFP. If they abstain or vote against, they will automatically be expelled from parliament. This is legally binding. The 2013 Fiji Constitution does not allow MPs to "cross the floor."

FijiFirst had offered SODELPA ministerial portfolios for all three MPs, board positions for qualified party members on government statutory bodies and commercial companies, and a staffed office in Parliament chambers, but SODELPA wanted more: the deputy prime ministership, open contracts for civil servants (currently on fixed term), retirement age of 60 (currently 55), $FJD 159 million for the iTaukei Ministry (indigenous Fijian ministry), the repeal   of 32 laws they see as discriminatory, establishing a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, and scrapping of FijiFirst's tertiary education policy.

The next four years are going to be challenging for the new government. If it holds together —and that is by no means assured—it will be able to pass legislation that requires a simple majority but with 26 of the 55 seats Fiji First can block major changes, including changes to the constitution and voting system.  

-- ACW

pn944. What is SODELPA Up To?

I was possibly a little premature when I said in my last posting that Fiji had a new government. With Fiji First and People's Alliance/ National Federation Party tied, the king maker is SODELPA. No government has yet been formed.

My assumption was (and still is) that SODELPA will opt to support the opposition coalition because its values and policies are far more aligned to them than those of Fiji First. After all, it was the Bainimarama 2006 Coup that threw out the SDL and Laisenia Qarese on the grounds of corruption and ethnic bias and Qarese went on to found SODELPA.

Its policies are the antithesis of Fiji First, including the restoration of the Great Council of Chiefs, reverting to an iTaukei land rental system that saw rent money distributed among chiefs and not the mataqali land owners, and — wait for it— a Fiji embassy in Jerusalem, not, they say, as a first step towards the creation of a Christian State but as an acknowledgement of its importance to Christianity.  And a sop to iTaukei radical Christians?

 Why, with this history and so many value and policy differences do they "appear" to be considering whether to join Fiji First to form a government?

True, there are also differences between SODELPA and the People's Alliance but these tend to be more personal. Stalwart SODELPA member Mere Samisoni, for instance, has spoken of her "distaste" for Rabuka, Tui Cakau, Lynda Tabuya and other PA leaders. 

Earlier, before the elections, SODELPA leader Wiliame Gavoka said he could not work with Rabuka. He now says it's a new ball game and there's no truth in that he cannot work with him.  We "have to do what is in the best interest of the people." So much for the truth!

Prof Steven Ratuva says the SODELPA  "issue was a complex mixture of “traditional vanua politics, personality power struggle and liumuri (backstabbing)” that was now unashamedly being played out in public"

Ploy

Notwithstanding the largely personal differences with PA, I think the meetings between the SODELPA management team and the contending parties is a ploy to extract the most possible concessions from PA/NFP. If it was speaking to only one side it would have much less leverage. It has no intention of joining Fiji First but as long as it is talking to them the more it is able to lean on PA/NFP. Neither side can form a government without them.

The management team is expected to refer its findings to PA/NFP by Wednesday. Meanwhile the talks are ongoing.

If I am proved wrong and SODELPA throws its support to Fiji Fiji, it will show "how low you can go"with personal animosities: small minded village politics, not what one would hope for from national leaders.

Related

 https://www.fijivillage.com/news/We-are-confident-to-form-new-coalition-government-with-PA-and-SODELPA--Prasad-48xf5r/

-- ACW

pn829. The SODELPA Players: strutting and fretting their time upon the stage

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Eighteen or more articles were published on the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA), Fiji's main opposition party, in the six days leading up to Christmas Eve, and in each article party leaders took swipes —not at the government that it opposes—  but at each other. This is no way to win next year's election. A party so divided cannot hope to win.

There are two camps:  the first,  the national executive lead by Ratu Epenesia Cakobau, Viliame Gavoka and Lenaitasi Duru (photos left-right); 

the second, led by Whip Lynda Tabuya and the Suva executive led by Watisoni Nata. 

pn825. The Fiji Merry-Go-Round

People unfamiliar with Fiji, or only with the Fiji of "Bula" and happy holidays smiles, would be amazed at the amount of vitriol, backstabbing and inflammatory nastiness that erupts around almost all controversial issues in politics and even the universities.

pn787. Fiji Snippets: Claims SODELPA in disarray, Law Society attacks Sayed-Khaiyum, Covid Update

 

SODELPA  IN  'DISARRAY'  

Mosese Bulitavu, the opposition SODELPA MP who has supported government on the 2021/2022 National Budget and the Bill to Amend the iTaukei Land Trust Act, says the party is in disarray, with a minority supporting party leader Viliami Gadovi and a majority supporting Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu.  He claims there are about 60 complaints before the SODELPA Board, the party has no general election or budget plan, and the minority and unelected are trying to control the party. Bulitavu's statement has been denied by General Secretary Lenaitasi Duru.  

pn777. New Zealand and Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Pacific Islands Forum Snippets

Punakaiki, West Coast

NEW ZEALAND. Three West Coast Conservation Board members have resigned citing conflicts of interest between conservation and Ngai Tahu interests, the privatisation of public assets and instances of racism when they tried to uphold conservation interests. 

What has brought the matter to a head is the proposed construction of a $26 million Punkaiki visitors' centre funded by the provincial growth fund. 

The accusations are denied by Board member Kara Edwards and Poutini Ngai Tahu. 

pn770. Fiji three items: Covid Update; SODELPA MP votes with Government on Budget and land act amendment, and another SODELPA had a name change.

 COVID-19. Fiji reports 1,285 new cases and 9 deaths in the past 24 hours to 8am yesterday.  Some 202 cases were in the Western Division, centred on Nadi, Lautoka and Ba, and 1,083 in the Central Division, centred on Suva. There are no cases in the Northern Division (Labasa on Vanua Levu) or the Eastern Division (Ovalau in Lomaiviti and Lau). To date, 75.2% of the target population has been vaccinated once, and 16.6% twice. Since the outbreak started there have been nearly 18,000 cases and 195  deaths.

Fiji: Rabuka, SODELPA, Bainimarama and the 2022 elections. (pn664)

 For those who do not know him, Graham Davis is a Fiji-born and bred  Australian  and a former adviser to PM Voqere Bainimarama. I highly recommend his blog Grubsheet to everyone interested in what is happening  on the Fiji political battlefield.  I envy him the comments on his blog, only wishing my readers would follow suit. -- ACW

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grubsheet

# “NEXT MATCH, NEW TEAM”. RABUKA’S MASTERSTROKE

Posted on December 10, 2020 19 Comments

“Isa”. Bad mistake

Never has the old saying “a week is a long time in politics” resonated more strongly than in Fiji over the past seven days. This time a week ago, Bill Gavoka was SODELPA leader and outlining his priorities to the regional media. Now the AG’s father-in-law and “lame duck” leader has been sautéd in the political wok, and a lot sooner than I predicted in my last article. And the man Gavoka replaced only the week before but remained as opposition leader, Sitiveni Rabuka, has resigned from the Parliament and resigned from SODELPA to form a new political grouping. Well may we say: “Wow. What a week!”

pn636. Fiji: changing of the guard

Sitiveni Rabuka

Ratu Naiqama

.

Many people will have mixed feeling on the resignation and retirement of Sitiveni Rabuka as leader of Fiji's main opposition party, SODELPA, and leader of the Opposition. Rightly condemned for instigating the 1987 Coup, the reformed older Rabuka has been a stabilising force in his party for some years, and had the support of the more moderate members of the party.

His resignation exposed SODELPA's internal divisions. 

pn618. Fijian land. It has long been thus—Indians/Muslims/the Bainimarama's government are stealing the land from us

Click and spread to enlarge

Nawaikula

The iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB)—which administers the 87 % of Fiji's land that remains in "native" title—has once again had to refute false and misleading allegations made by lawyer and SODELPA Opposition MP Nik Nawaikula  on social media on the status of iTaukei land in the hope, presumably, of persuading grassroots iTaukei that the FijiFirst government is trying to steal the land from them. 

The cartoon from the anti-Government blog Truth for Fiji  is typical of others that perpetuate the falsehood of the land steal. Notice Indian businessman Tappoo and Muslim Attorney-General Khaiyum eating into iTaukei land.

pn612. Ratu Epenisa Call On Members To Respect Selection Process

The Management Board which is the Party’s governing body approved at its meeting on 5th November 2020 to outsource the management of the interview process. This is also to ensure the independence, impartiality and transparency of the process.

By Jennis Naidu, Fiji Sun

The Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) Party President, Ratu Epenisa Cakobau is urging members and supporters to respect due processes that will be undertaken for the appointment of the Party Leader and Deputy Party Leader who will lead the Party towards the 2022 general elections.

pn588. Religious tolerance in Fjii

Lynda Tabuya

Ashwin Raj

Concerns that Hindus would let off firecrackers on Diwali this coming weekend before Christian services had finished  led to concerns by Lynda Tabuya (an iTaukei MP) and the Methodist Church, a denial by Shree Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji, and an appeal by the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commissioner.  

Bainimarama Attacks Racism Sexism Comments by SODELPA's Bulitavu

I'd like to see what Bulitavu said, but if he said anything close to this (and there's no reason to suppose the PM is misquoting him ), Bulitavu is a very sick man, and SODELPA should distance itself from his comments.  This comes on top of the controversial comments by Ratu Naiqamu which also did not look good for SODELPA. Does the party really represent all citizens or only some iTaukei?  -- ACW

pn447

I’ve been made aware of statements by SODELPA member Mosese Bulitavu, where he stereotyped Indo-Fijian women as being promiscuous and made the ridiculous claim that Indo-Fijian men are the only ones who use knives to commit acts of horrific violence against women. 

He went on to claim that iTaukei men only beat iTaukei women because they are bigger than them. Worse, he insinuated that iTaukei women should be thankful these beatings aren’t carried out with weapons.

Read More.

Fiji Elections 2018, Part II: the Way Forward by Rajendra Prasad

Fiji’s 2018 election has brought two former heads of the

Rabuka (l), Baininmarama (r),
"A new era of consensual politics"? pn219

Republic of Fiji Military Force directly against each other – one as the Prime Minister and the other as the Leader of Opposition.

Both, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and Leader of Opposition, Sitiveni Rabuka, have the same ignominy of removing democratically elected governments - one in 1987 and the other in 2006.