Politics of Fiji Constitution of Fiji Main article - Preamble Chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ::9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Executive government President - Vice-President Prime Minister - Cabinet Attorney-General Leader of the Opposition Legislative government Parliament Senate House of Representatives Speaker Judicial government Main article Magistrates Courts High Court Court of Appeal Supreme Court Chief Justice Chief Magistrate Appeal Court President Local government Main article Municipal elections 2002 - 2005 Other political institutions Great Council of Chiefs Chairman, G.C.C. Political parties Historical institutions Governor Governor-General Chief Minister Legislative Council Electoral system Main article Voting system Open constituencies Communal constituencies National constituencies Elections in Fiji Main article 1966 - 1972 March 1977 - September 1977 1982 - 1987 - 1992 1994 - 1999 - 2001 2006 Foreign affairs Main article Diplomatic relations of Fiji File links The following pages link to this file: Foreign relations of Fiji Fiji Suva Freedom House Atu Ratu-mai-mbula Samulayo Burotu Degei Murimuria Cibaciba and Drakulu Dakuwanga Lewalevu Lingadua Nabangatai Ndauthina Ndengei Ngendi Ngurai Tui Delai Gau Vitu OFC Nations Cup List of national flags Fijian language 1995... Constitutional Structure See main article: Constitution of Fiji and linked articles. ... Background The Constitution of the Republic of the Fiji Islands dates from 1997. ... This article is a commentary on the Preamble to the Fijian constitution. ... Chapter 1: The State. ... Chapter 2: Compact. ... Chapter 3: Citizenship. ... Chapter 4: Bill of Rights. ... Chapter 5: Social Justice. ... Chapter 6: The Parliament. ... Chapter 7: Executive Government. ... Chapter 8 Great Council of Chiefs (Bose Levu Vakaturaga) Chapter 8: Executive Government. ... Chapter 9 Judiciary Section 117 Judicial power (1) The judicial power of the State vests in the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court and in such other courts as are created by law. ... Chapter 10 State Services Section 140 Recruitment and promotion policy The recruitment of persons to a state service, the promotion of persons within a state service and the management of a state service must be based on the following principles: (a) government policies should be carried out effectively and efficiently... Chapter 11 Accountability Part 1 Code of Conduct Section 156 Code of Conduct (1) This section applies to the President, Vice-President, Ministers, members of Parliament, holders of offices established by or continued in existence under this Constitution, members of commissions, Secretaries of departments, the Secretary to the Cabinet and... Chapter 12 Revenue and Expenditure Section 175 Raising of revenue The raising by the Government of revenue or moneys, whether through the imposition of taxation or otherwise, must be authorised by or under an Act. ... Chapter 13 Group Rights Section 185 Alteration of certain Acts (1) A bill alters any of the following Acts, namely: (a) Fijian Affairs Act; (b) Fijian Development Fund Act; (c) Native Lands Act; (d) Native Land Trust Act; (e) Rotuman Act; (f) Rotuman Lands Act; (g) Banaban Lands Act; or... 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Fiji became a republic in 1987, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom formally abdicated as Queen of Fiji, following two military coups led by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka. ... The Fijian vice-presidency is a mostly ceremonial office. ... Fiji received its independence in 1970. ... Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. ... The Attorney General of Fiji is his countrys official lawyer within the government. ... The post of Leader of the Opposition is a political office common in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. ... Fijis Parliament is bicameral. ... The Senate of Fiji is the upper chamber of Parliament. ... Overview The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fijis Parliament. ... The Speaker is the presiding officer of the Fijian House of Representatives. ... 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Open constituencies represent one of several electoral models employed in the past and present in the Fijian electoral system. ... Communal constituencies have been the most durable feature of the Fijian electoral system. ... National constituencies are a former feature of the Fijian electoral system. ... Elections in Fiji gives information on election and election results in Fiji. ... The general election to the Fijian Legislative Council in 1966 was the last to be held before independence from the United Kingdom was granted in 1970. ... Politics of Fiji Categories: Stub | Elections in Fiji | Fiji-related stubs ... Fijis election for the House of Representatives held in March 1977 was the second since independence from the United Kingdom in 1970. ... A general election to Fijis House of Representatives was held in September 1977, to resolve the impasse of an earlier election that had been held in March. ... 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History of Fiji Timeline Discovery The rise and fall of Cakobau Colonial Fiji Fiji since 1970 Main article Constitutional crisis of 1977 Coups of 1987 Coup of 2000 Main article Timeline - Mutinies Aftermath - Allegations Investigations - Trials Court Martial - Military unrest Reconciliation Commission Main article Supporters - Opponents Qualified positions Military opposition Religious reaction Military-church relations Foreign reaction Events since 2000 Military unrest, December 2005 The timeline below shows a thumbnail sketch of Fijian history, from ancient times to the present day. ... Located in the central Pacific Ocean, Fijis geography has made it both a destination and a crossroads for migrations for many centuries. ... The first three quarters of the Nineteenth Century were marked by tribal warfare, incursions from neighbouring Tonga, and the increasing encroachment of foreign powers. ... The United Kingdom turned down its first opportunity to annex Fiji in 1852. ... Since attaining independence from the United Kingdom on 10 October 1970, Fijian history has been marked by exponential economic growth up to 1987, followed by relative stagnation, caused to a large extent by political instability following two military coups in 1987 and a civilian putsch in 2000. ... Categories: Pages needing attention | Stub | Fiji-related stubs | History of Fiji | Politics of Fiji ... Fiji Coups of 1987 refers to the 1987 overthrow of the government of Fiji by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka, then third in command of the Royal Fiji Military Forces. ... The Fiji coup of 2000 was a complicated affair involving a civilian putsch by hardline Fijian nationalists against the elected government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to assert executive authority on 27 May, and his own resignation, possibly... Timeline (2000-2001) May: 19, 20, 26, 27, 29, 30. ... Two military mutinies took place in connection with the civilian coup détat that rocked Fiji in 2000, the first while the rebellion instigated by George Speight was in progress, and the second four months after it had ended. ... The Constitution of Fiji, which had been abrogated by the Interim Military Government of Commodore Frank Bainimarama (who organized a counter-coup to neutralize the civilian coup détat instigated by George Speight in May 2000), was reinstated by the High Court on 15 November that year. ... A number of separate, but overlapping, investigations have been conducted by the police into various aspects of the 2000 coup. ... A number of prominent participants in the coup have been tried, and some convicted, in 2004 and 2005. ... Following the quashing of George Speights civilian coup détat in 2000, the Military handed power over to a civilian administration led by the banker, Laisenia Qarase, who won the parliamentary election held to restore democracy in September 2001. ... The Reconciliation and Unity Commission is a proposed government body to be set up if the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill, which was introduced into the Fijian Parliament on May 4, 2005, is passed. ... The controversial legislation proposed by the Fijian government to establish a Reconciliation and Unity Commission has the strong support of Prime Minister Qarase, Attorney General Qoriniasi Bale, and other members of the ruling coalition. ... Most Fijian politicians outside of the government have come out against the legislation to establish a Commission with the power, subject to presidential approval, to pardon perpetrators and compensate victims of the coup détat against the elected government in 2000. ... In the midst of the strident public statements both for and against the legislation to establish a Reconciliation and Unity Commission with the power, subject to presidential approval, to compensate victims and pardon persons involved in the coup détat which deposed the elected government in May 2000, a number... Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, has been a vociferous and uncompromising critic of the governments proposal to establish a Reconciliation and Unity Commission, with the power to grant compensation to victims of the 2000 coup, and amnesty to perpetrators of it. ... The Military of Fiji has always had a close relationship between the countrys churches, particularly the Methodist Church, to which some two-thirds of indigenous Fijians belong. ... The controversial Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill being promoted by the Fijian government throughout 2005 has generated enormous debate, both locally and internationally. ...

Conspiracy theories abound concerning the Fiji coup of 2000, in which the elected government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry was deposed. Police have confessed to difficulty about substantiating many of the rumours, citing a "cone of silence" around many of the suspects. This proposed logo for a U.S. government agency was dropped due to fears that its pseudo-Masonic symbolism would provoke conspiracy theories. ... The Fiji coup of 2000 was a complicated affair involving a civilian putsch by hardline Fijian nationalists against the elected government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to assert executive authority on 27 May, and his own resignation, possibly... Fiji received its independence in 1970. ... Mahendra Pal Chaudhry (born 9 February 1942) is the leader of the Fiji Labour Party and currently the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. ...

In 2005, however, a small number of people claiming to have inside knowledge of the planning and execution of the coup, went public with allegations that, for the first time, named names. Two such informants are Maciu Navakasuasua and Josaia Waqabaca, both former officials of the Nationalist Vanua Tako Lavo Party, whose leadership both have implicated in the coup. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Maciu Navakasuasua's allegations

Navakasuasua, who served a prison term for coup-related convictions, has been very outspoken about the people that he claims masterminded the Fiji coup of 2000. The Fiji coup of 2000 was a complicated affair involving a civilian putsch by hardline Fijian nationalists against the elected government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to assert executive authority on 27 May, and his own resignation, possibly...

On 21 September 2005, Navakasuasua went public with allegations that financial backers of the coup, among whom he alleged to be Strategic Air Service Limited executive Watisoni Nata and consultant Navitalai Naisoro, and had tried to hire him to blow up Nadi airport while the then-Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry was passing through, and that rebel soldiers from the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit had intended to kill parliamentarians taken hostage during the crisis. September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A consultant (from the latin consultus meaning legal expert) is a professional who provides expert advice in a particular domain or area of expertise such as accountancy, technology, the law, human resources, marketing, medicine, finance, public affairs, communication, or more esoteric areas of knowledge, for example engineering of different kinds... Nadi (Nahn-dee) is the third-largest town in Fiji. ... Mahendra Pal Chaudhry (born 9 February 1942) is the leader of the Fiji Labour Party and currently the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. ...

The Fiji Sun interview

In an interview with the Fiji Sun, excerpts of which were published over a period of four days from 20 September and summarized by the Melbourne daily, The Age on 21 September, Navakasuasua said that the coup had been planned by the Nationalist Vanua Tako Lavo Party (NVTLP), which had co-opted George Speight as a frontman one day before the plot was executed. Along with the rebel soldiers, Speight had proceeded to usurp the leadership. "It was a coup within a coup. Speight was an opportunist and wanted to grab the leadership role" Navakasuasua said. "We planned and executed the coup for the Fijian race. But then people like Speight, and some former army officers and politicians, joined in to make it look their own cause and try to become heroes out of it." September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... Melbourne is the state capital and largest city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia (after Sydney), with a population of approximately 3. ... The Age is a broadsheet daily newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... The Nationalist Vanua Tako Lavo Party (NVTLP) is a Fijian political party which champions Fijian ethnic nationalism. ... George Speight George Speight, occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini (born 1957), was the principal instigator of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which he kidnapped thirty-six government officials and held them from May 19, 2000 to July 13, 2000. ...

Navakasuasua, who was imprisoned for three years on Nukulau Island for his role in the coup, said that he wanted to come clean about his role in the coup because he had "found God." Upon his release, he had emigrated to Australia, but was prepared to return to Fiji to front up if required, he said. Nukulau Island is a small islet belonging to Fiji. ...

Further statements

Navakasuasua made further allegations on 26 October, that prior to the seizure of the Parliamentary complex, Speight had ordered the kidnapping of then-President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. The plan was allegedly aborted when Jona Vida and Salesi Tuifagalele, both martial arts experts, refused to carry out the abduction. Tuifagalele supported Navakasuasua's version of events, saying that he had attended a meeting on the night of 18 May at the home of Iliesa Duvuloco, the then-leader of the NVTLP, where Speight had made the proposal. Tuifagalele and Vida decided later than night back out, he said, on the grounds that as Lauans, they could not be party to any attack on the President, who was also the Lauans' Paramount Chief. Speight did not call off the attack until the next morning, however, after hearing that Mara was absent from Government House, his official residence. October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... Fiji became a republic in 1987, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom formally abdicated as Queen of Fiji, following two military coups led by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka. ... Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara (May 6, 1920 – April 18, 2004) is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). ... The Lau Islands (also called the Lau Group, the Eastern Group, the Eastern Archipelago) of Fiji are situated in the southern Pacific Ocean, just east of the Koro Sea. ... Tui Nayau is the title held by the Paramount Chief of the Lau Islands in Fiji and is synonymous with the title holders over lordship of these islands. ...

In a further statement from Sydney on 22 November, Navakasuasua alleged that coup convicts Timoci Silatolu and Josefa Nata had been moved out of Nukulau Prison because of attempts by George Speight to "control" them, a situation Navakasuasua said he had also faced. "I was very close to Silatolu and Nata while we were in Nukulau and it became very difficult to us because Speight always wanted to be in control," Navakasuasua declared. He also said that Speight was under the influence of some army officers such as Joseva Savua who had mutinied in events related to the coup. Commenting on Silatolu's recent application for a Presidential pardon, Navakasuasua said he supported the move but called on Silatolu to reveal the names of the hidden characters who had masterminded the coup. "Silatolu is a politician and surely knows some of these big fishes who are now enjoying their life while others suffer in prison," he said. Sydney is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian state of New South Wales, as well as Australias largest and oldest city (founded in 1788). ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Timoci Silatolu, sometimes known by his chiefly title of Ratu, is a former Fijian politician who is currently serving a life sentence for treason in connection with his role in the coup détat which deposed the government, of which he was a part, in 2000. ... Nukulau Island is a small islet belonging to Fiji. ... Two military mutinies took place in connection with the civilian coup détat that rocked Fiji in 2000, the first while the rebellion instigated by George Speight was in progress, and the second four months after it had ended. ... Fiji became a republic in 1987, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom formally abdicated as Queen of Fiji, following two military coups led by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka. ... A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it. ...

On 15 December 2005, Navakasuasua repeated earlier statements, questioning whether the police were pursuing the investigations seriously enough. December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Navakasuasua reiterated on 18 December that he is willing to return to Fiji to defend his allegations. He called on the police to diligently pursue the coup masterminds. "The main players have to be punished and once that is done, we can go for reconciliation where God will bless our country," he said. December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Josaia Waqabaca, a former senior NVTLP member, supported Navakasuasua's version of events on 19 December. Navakasuasua, Jioji Bakoso, and Waqabaca himself had been paid by two business executives to bomb Nadi International airport and strategic positions in Suva after the the People's Coalition had come to power in the general election of 1999, he said. They had later withdrawn from the assignment. Waqabaca told the Fiji Sun that he had revealed the identity of the two business executives in his statement to the police. December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Suva is the capital of Fiji. ... The general election to the Fijian House of Representatives, held in May 1999, was historic. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Chaudhry reacts

On 22 September, Opposition Leader Mahendra Chaudhry lodged a complaint with Director of Public Prosecutions Josaia Naigulevu about what he said was a failure on the part of the police to take the allegations seriously enough. He complained that three months had already passed since Navakasuasua had given a statement to the police in Sydney, and that the local police had done nothing about it. "I am also at a loss to understand why the police force is not moving with greater urgency on Navakasuasua's statement, given its very real relevance to the May 2000 insurgency," Chaudhry said. He accused "second-tier officers" in the police force of sabotaging investigations into the coup, and the Navakasuasua allegations in particular. September 22 is the 265th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (266th in leap years). ... The post of Leader of the Opposition is a political office common in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. ... Mahendra Pal Chaudhry (born 9 February 1942) is the leader of the Fiji Labour Party and currently the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. ... Sydney is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian state of New South Wales, as well as Australias largest and oldest city (founded in 1788). ...

Having lost confidence in the ability of the police to investigate the matter fairly, Chaudhry said he intended to approach Military Commander Frank Bainimarama for help in completing the investigations. "I will go to him (Bainimarama) because he believes in justice, the rule of law and democracy," he said. Chaudhry was responding to Navakasuasua's claims that the police had tampered with his statement. Originally 30 pages, he said it had been reduced to 7 - with all vital information concerning names and places deleted. Approached by the Fiji Sun, Assistant Commissioner Crime Kevueli Bulamaivalu refused to say why the evidence had been altered. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, popularly known as Frank Bainimarama, (born 27 April 1954), is the Commander of the Fijian military, who served as Head of the Interim Military Government from 29 May to 13 July 2000, when he handed power over to the newly-appointed President Ratu Josefa Iloilo. ...

On 26 September, Commodore Bainimarama duly met Chaudhry. Both men were tight-lipped at what had transpired in the course of their discussions, but said that a lot of names had come up. The previous day, Bainimarama had said that Chaudhry had the right to talk to anyone he wished, and that what they discussed was nobody else's business. Chaudhry concurred, saying that as he was not a civil servant, he was not bound by any code of conduct requiring public servants to approach the security forces only through the appropriate Minister. He added that he had already met Bainimarama three times for consultations about national security issues. He said that further meetings with the Commander were likely. September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ...

Chaudhry's stated intention to approach the Military Commander had already attracted criticism on 24 September from Home Affairs Minister Josefa Vosanibola, who called on him to follow the proper channels by approaching him as Minister first. "He just can't approach military commander Voreqe Bainimarama and Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes without going through the Minister first," Vosanibola said. Information Minister Marieta Rigamoto also condemned Chaudhry's stated intention, in words almost identical to Vosanibola's. On 28 September, after the meeting had taken place, Vosanibola reiterated his view that Chaudhry should not have approached the Commander without consulting him as Minister first. September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years). ... Josefa Vosanibola Josefa Bole Vosanibola is a Fijian politician, who has served as Minister for Home Affairs since 16 December 2004, when he was appointed by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase to succeed Joketani Cokanasiga. ... Marieta Rigamoto Marieta Rigamoto is a Fijian politician. ... September 28 is the 271st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (272nd in leap years). ...

On 1 October, army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Orisi Rabukawaqa defended Commodore Bainimarama's right, as Commander, to consult with any citizen of the country about matters pertaining to national security. "All major stakeholders should have the opportunity to consult the Commander and the Commissioner on matters pertaining to national security," Rabukawaqa said. He insisted that there was nothing sinister about the meeting, pointing out that Bainimarama and Chaudhry had met in broad daylight in full view of the local media: "They could have met in private out of hours and discussed the very same issues as is guaranteed in our Freedom of Association in the Constitution," he said. October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in Leap years). ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ...

Rabukawaqa shared Chaudhry's view of the seriousness of the Navakasuasua allegations, but stopped short of endorsing his criticism of the police handling of the case. The Military had complete faith in the police investigations, Rabukawaqa said. He called on citizens to be vigilant, however, and said that if any of the accused sought political office in 2006, the public should vote their conscience and defeat them. The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Police Deputy Commissioner Moses Driver had said on 22 September that Chaudhry's allegations were "old news." Navakasuasua's statement had already been followed up, he said, investigations were complete, and certain individuals had in fact been prosecuted and were serving sentences related to the allegations. September 22 is the 265th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (266th in leap years). ...

Chaudhry said that he had forgiven Navakasuasua for his role in the coup. Unlike others who had asked for amnesty while refusing to divulge any information, Navakasuasua had told all he knew and had not asked for amnesty. He said that Navakasuasua had shown genuine remorse for his actions when he travelled from Adelaide to meet him in Sydney, where Chaudhry was attending a conference in June 2004. Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia with a population of more than 1. ... Sydney is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian state of New South Wales, as well as Australias largest and oldest city (founded in 1788). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

NVTLP responds

NVTLP leader Iliesa Duvuloco refused to comment on Navakasuasua's allegations about the party's role in the coup, saying that he wanted to look ahead, not back. "Five years have gone and we cannot afford to go back since the country has to move forward," Duvuloco said. Navakasuasua had accused Duvuloco of having met "a former army officer, who is now a politician, at the Holiday Inn in Suva" prior to the coup. He believed this officer to be the man the rebels had waited in vain for at the parliamentary complex, only to find later that he had abandoned them. The identity of this person has not been revealed, but rumours in public and the media have suggested former Prime Minister and 1987 coup leader Sitiveni Rabuka as a possibility. 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fiji Coups of 1987 refers to the 1987 overthrow of the government of Fiji by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka, then third in command of the Royal Fiji Military Forces. ... Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, (born September 13, 1948) is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. ...

While Duvoloco was refusing to talk, NVTLP President Viliame Savu supported Navakasuasua's version of events. Savu told the Fiji Sun that he, too, was going public to clear his conscience. He said that the party had had to plead with CRW leader Vilimoni Tikotani not to kill the hostages. He also revealed that the real purpose of a nationalist protest in Suva on 19 May 2000 (the morning of the coup) was to distract police and public attention from the Parliamentary complex. Suva is the capital of Fiji. ... May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Naisoro and Nata have angrily denied Navakasuasua's allegations of their role in financing the coup.

Commissioner Hughes responds

On 27 September, Commissioner of Police Andrew Hughes emphatically rejected FLP Leader Mahendra Chaudhry's suggestion that the police were not serious in their investigation of coup-related offenses, particularly those related to the Navakasuasua allegations. He said that Chaudhry's comments, which he supposed to be an election ploy, were "totally misleading." He did, however, follow that statement up on 30 September with an announcement that a new management team had been formed to reassess all evidence related to the pending investigations. September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 95 days remaining. ... The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 92 days remaining. ...

On 19 December, Hughes responded to another media statement by Navakasuasua, saying that most of his allegations were old news and had already been processed by the police. Eighteen witnesses had been located on the basis of Navakasuasua's claims, Hughes said; eleven remained to be interviewed and investigations were ongoing. He denied earlier reports that the police probe was closed or was about to be. Whether Navakasuasua should be brought back to Fiji to testify, however, was up to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, not the police, he said. December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Opposition parliamentarian Poseci Bune welcomed Hughes's assurance that the case was not closed, but said that main culprits were still at large, and expressed concern the release of coup convicts from prison could enable them and their followers to mar the investigation process. Overview The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fijis Parliament. ... Poseci Bune is a Fijian politician, who is currently (2005) the Deputy Leader of the opposition Fiji Labour Party (FLP). ...

Josaia Waqabaca's allegations

Josaia Waqabaca is a Fijian public figure and former political organizer.

A one-time senior official of the Nationalist Vanua Tako Lavo Party (NVTLP), Waqabaca claims to have been hired by two businessmen, at the behest of the party, to help bomb Nadi International Airport and strategic positions in Suva after the the People's Coalition had come to power in the general election of 1999, and to have participated in the coup d'état which deposed the Chaudhry government in May 2000. He has supported similar allegations made by coup-convict Maciu Navakasuasua. Nadi (Nahn-dee) is the third-largest town in Fiji. ... Suva is the capital of Fiji. ... The general election to the Fijian House of Representatives, held in May 1999, was historic. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Fiji coup of 2000 was a complicated affair involving a civilian putsch by hardline Fijian nationalists against the elected government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to assert executive authority on 27 May, and his own resignation, possibly... Mahendra Pal Chaudhry (born 9 February 1942) is the leader of the Fiji Labour Party and currently the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. ... 2000 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December This is a timeline for events in May, 2000. ...

The Fiji Sun interview

In an interview with the Fiji Sun, published on 22 December 2005, Waqabaca said that a religious conversion experience had led him to confess his role in the 2000 coup. December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Born again is a term used primarily in Evangelical Protestant Christianity, where it is associated with salvation, conversion and spiritual rebirth. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

As a follower of the late Sakiasi Butadroka, Waqabaca said that he had worked with Navakasuasua and with Peceli Vuniwa. Waqabaca supported Navakasuasua's implication of Strategic Air Service Limited executive Watisoni Nata and consultant Navitalai Naisoro in the plot to blow up Nadi Airport, allegations that both men have angrily denied. Waqabaca claimed that a certain "middleman" is the main link to local and international financiers who, he said, came through Vanuatu. This middleman has since prospered financially as a result of the coup, he claimed. Waqabaca himself had been taken by Naisoro to meet two present Cabinet Ministers, he alleged. He had also met Tailevu chief Ratu Jope Seniloli, who later became Vice-President and was forced to resign in late 2004 after being convicted of coup-related offences. A consultant (from the latin consultus meaning legal expert) is a professional who provides expert advice in a particular domain or area of expertise such as accountancy, technology, the law, human resources, marketing, medicine, finance, public affairs, communication, or more esoteric areas of knowledge, for example engineering of different kinds... Laisenia Qarase (born February 4, 1941) is the Prime Minister of Fiji. ... Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. ... Tailevu is one of Fijis fourteen Provinces. ... Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. ... Ratu Jope Seniloli Ratu Jope Naucabalavu Seniloli (born 1939) was the Vice-President of Fiji from 25 March 2001 to 29 November 2004, when he was forced to resign following his conviction for treason on August 6, 2004, and the rejection of his appeal early in November. ... The Fijian vice-presidency is a mostly ceremonial office. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Waqabaca denied knowing for sure that the coup was to take place, but "sensed" that "something uncalled for" was about to happen in connection with the Taukei protest march scheduled for 19 May 2000. Now troubled in his conscience, he claimed to have withdrawn from the march and to have asked Seniloli to withdraw his chiefly support for it. He claimed to have tipped off Haroon Ali Shah (a lawyer and parliamentarian at the time) that something was afoot and that it would be better if Shah did not go to the parliamentary complex that day. May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Overview The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fijis Parliament. ...

Waqabaca praised the work of Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes, but expressed suspicions that some of Hughes's subordinates might by stalling the investigations. He suspected that some police officers had links to what he called the "big fry," and were therefore pursuing persons whose involvement in the coup was minor. He called on the police to be faithful to their duty, arrest all suspects, and allow the courts to decide the verdicts.

The nationalist position that Waqabaca formerly espoused has "expired," he said. The restoration of the Constitution, which had been abrogated by the Interim Military Government which took power on 29 May 2000, was ordered by the High Court on 15 November that year, and confirmed by the Court of Appeal on 2 March 2001. That "cemented" the Constitution, Waqabaca told the Sun. It was now time to accept reality, to pursue peaceful progress and live in harmony. "We have to join hands and ensure that our children can live well in this country," he said. May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... This article is about the year 2000. ... The High Court of Fiji is independent of the legislative and executive branches of the acting government. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... The Court of Appeal of Fiji is one of three courts established by Chapter 9 of the Constitution, the others being the High Court and the Supreme Court. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

See also:

• Fiji coup of 2000 (main article)
• Fiji coup of 2000:Timeline
• Fiji coup of 2000:Mutinies
• Fiji coup of 2000:Aftermath
• Fiji coup of 2000:Investigations
• Fiji coup of 2000:Allegations
• Fiji coup of 2000:Trials
• Fiji coup of 2000:Court Martial
• Fiji coup of 2000:Subsequent military unrest