Coups in Fiji (1987)

Both before and after the Republic of Fiji gained independence from Great Britain in 1970, tensions between the native Fijian and Fiji Indians ^{[~ 1]} constantly manifested themselves in social and political unrest. Parliamentary elections in April 1987 led to the replacement of Prime Minister Conservative Government-led Prime Minister Rama Kamisese Mara with a multi-ethnic coalition supported mainly by the Fiji-Indian community. ^[1]

May coup

On the morning of May 14, at about 10 a.m., ten masked armed soldiers entered the Fiji House of Representatives and forcibly subjugated the national legislature, who had gathered there for the morning session. Lieutenant Colonel Sivitini Rabuka, in civilian clothes, turned from the seat of Prime Minister Timothy Mbawandra to members of parliament, ordering them to leave the building, which they did without resistance. The putsch was an obvious success and was carried out without loss of life.

At around 11 a.m. , Radio Fiji announced a military coup. It is reported that Rabuka went to the government building to see the Governor General , Penaia Nganilau . He sought recognition of hostilities and the overthrow of the Mbawandra government. An interim government was soon appointed, and the public was urged to "remain calm and continue their daily work." ^[2]

After the meeting, the Governor-General instructed the Constitutional Review Committee, led by Sir John Falvey, to consider the "flaws" of the Fiji Constitution in 1970 , which was done by those who supported the coup.

The commission was supposed to begin the hearing on July 6 and by July 31 present its recommendations to the Governor-General. His scope of tasks was to "strengthen the representation of the indigenous Fijians and at the same time take into account the interests of other peoples of Fiji" ^[3] . The Commission received 860 written and 120 oral communications and prepared a report recommending the creation of a new unicameral legislature consisting of 36 Fijians (28 elected and 8 appointed by the Grand Council of Chiefs), 22 Fiji Indians, 8 general voters, 1 representative of the Rotum people and before four candidates from the prime minister. National constituencies ethnically distributed, and elections based on universal suffrage, were to be abolished, and voting was to be common. The post of prime minister was to be reserved for the native Fijian ^[4] .

The Governor-General dismissed the parliament and granted amnesty to Rabuke, while appointing him to the post of commander of the Fiji Armed Forces. The actions of the Governor General were suspiciously rejected by the government, and Mbawandra challenged his decision in the Fiji Supreme Court. ^[2]

October Revolution

The head of Fiji, which at that time was part of the Commonwealth of Nations , was the Queen of Great Britain , Elizabeth II ^{[~ 2]} . The Fiji Supreme Court ruled that the coup was unconstitutional, and the Governor General tried to approve the executive branch. He opened negotiations, known as negotiations with debuts, both with the ousted government and with the Alliance Party, which was supported by most of the native Fijians. These negotiations culminated in the Agreement of September 23, 1987. It envisaged a government of national unity, in which both parties would be represented by the Governor General. Fearing that the results of the first coup would be lost, on September 25 , Rambuca made a second coup.

Australia and New Zealand , the countries with the greatest political influence in Fiji, were concerned about the events of 1987, but ultimately did not take any measures to intervene. However, they established a policy of non-recognition of the new government, suspending foreign aid in accordance with an agreement with the United States and Great Britain .

The Australian labor movement, accepting the ousting of the Labor Party-led government as an insult to the global labor movement, set a Fiji supply embargo. Since Australia was Fiji's largest foreign trade partner, this led to a significant reduction in state international trade.

The United Nations immediately condemned the coup, demanding the return of the former government. On 7 October, the new regime declared Fiji a republic, repealing the 1970 constitution; The Commonwealth of Nations has responded to Fiji’s immediate expulsion from the association.

In 1990, a new constitution was approved in which the residences of the president and prime minister , as well as two-thirds of the Senate and a large part of the House of Representatives, were reserved for the native Fijians. These discriminatory provisions were eventually repealed as a result of a constitutional review in 1997 .

The coup d'etat led to the emigration of Fiji Indians , making them a national minority by 1994 . Today, although Fiji has economic problems, the country has been able to gradually recover from this loss.

1. ↑ An estimated 46% and 49% of the Fiji population are in 1987, respectively.
2. ↑ With the title of Queen of Fiji.