Fiji-Style Democracy

There are once again serious concerns over the state of Fiji’s democracy. In mid-September several high profile politicians and activists were arrested and questioned after taking part in a public forum held to discuss the country’s 2013 constitution. Amnesty International stated that the arrests were "a brazen crackdown on people for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression."

Among those arrested were the leader of the National Federation Party, Biman Prasad; the leader of Social Democratic Liberal Party, Sitiveni Rabuka; and the leader of the Fiji Labor Party, Mahendra Mahendra Chaudhry. Both Rabuka and Chaudhry are former prime ministers, with Rabuka also being the leader of the country’s 1987 coup.

Also arrested were the general secretary of the Fiji Council of Trade Unions, Attar Singh; an academic and former politician, Tupeni Baba; and Jone Dakuvula, from the organization Pacific Dialogue, an NGO focused on human rights and conflict resolution.

The arrests were made under the country’s Public Order Act, which allows charges to be laid against anyone who takes part in a public meeting for which a government permit has not been obtained. While all those who were arrested have been freed without charge, the case has been referred to the public prosecutor for further examination.

The current Fiji constitution came into effect in September 2013 during the period of military dictatorship that stemmed from the 2006 coup led by current Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama. While the new constitution eliminated previous race-based electoral rolls, and race-based seat quotas in the parliament, there are concerns that it concentrates too much power in the hands of the prime minister, and that it inhibits freedom of assembly and speech.

When parliamentary elections were reinstated in October 2014, Bainimarama’s Fiji First Party won in a landslide, a result that has been disputed by opposition parties.

Chaudry, the first and only ethnic Indian to have been Fijian prime minister, told Reuters, "The regime here is very sensitive to criticism. They have seen all three political parties in opposition coming together in one forum and I think they feel a bit jittery about it." 

Bainimarama, however, has remained unapologetic about the arrests, stating, “I will not apologize for doing whatever it takes within the law to keep our people safe and our economy stable.” He added further, “I promised the Fijian people that the nightmare many suffered in the past arising from the successive breakdowns of law and order will never be repeated. And I intend to keep that promise.”

A 2015 report by the U.S. State Department into human rights in Fiji highlighted many of the same concerns of the opposition politicians and critics of the government, citing problems with police and military abuse of persons in custody; restrictions on freedoms of speech, assembly, and movement; and restrictions on trade union and collective bargaining rights.

These political developments are bound to cause some concern among Fiji’s neighbors, especially coming closely after the Pacific Islands Forum -- where the country’s minister of foreign affairs, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, was removed from his position while being the country’s representative at the forum. Kubuabola was seen as being the driving force behind a warming of relations between Fiji and the two regional heavyweights, Australia and New Zealand. Bainimarama, who boycotted the forum due to his belief that Australia and New Zealand should not be participants, has now taken on the foreign affairs portfolio himself.

There is a palpable shift in Fiji’s current posture, a sense that Bainimarama has little tolerance for Australia and New Zealand’s interest in Fiji’s governance, and a desire to distance himself from their sphere of influence. This sense may be confirmed with Bainimarama informing the recent session of United Nations General Assembly that the country is in the process of “reevaluating its relationships” with the rest of the world.

This pronouncement comes after a recent shipment of military equipment from Russia and with China having overtaken Australia as the largest aid donor to Fiji. Both these occurrences are bound to sit uncomfortably in Canberra and Wellington in their attempts to maintain regional hegemony. 

With these arrests of opposition leaders and critical voices, Bainimarama seems to be sending a signal that he has little patience for scrutiny of his rule, and a disinterest in the democratic norms that are expected of the country. Whether Fiji’s opposition parties will still feel confident enough to continue to engage and debate the country’s political issues remains to be seen.