Conservative Alliance (Fiji)
Encyclopedia
The Conservative Alliance (Matanitu Vanua in Fijian
) was a far-right political party in Fiji
, and a member of the ruling coalition
government. It was commonly known as the CAMV, a combination of the initials of its English and Fijian names. At its annual general meeting on 17 February 2006, the party voted to dissolve itself and merge with its coalition partner, the United Fiji Party (SDL). The President of the party at the time of its dissolution was Ratu
Tanoa Cakobau, a Bauan chief
, while Ratu
Josefa Dimuri
served as General Secretary. For legal reasons, Parliamentary members of the disbanded party maintained a separate caucus
in the House of Representatives, under the leadership of Ratu
Naiqama Lalabalavu
, until the end of the parliamentary term, on 27 March 2006.
, on 15 June 2001 by defectors who broke away from the SVT, which had governed the country from 1992 to 1999, when it lost the general elections
held that year. As part of its founding ideology, the party emphasized that the offices of President and Prime Minister should be reserved for indigenous Fijians
, and that Christianity
should be constitutionally
established as the country's official religion. Among those attending the launch was the Rev. Tomasi Kanailagi
, President of the Methodist Church. Ratu Epenisa Cakobau
, a Kubuna
chief
, was appointed President of the party, with Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu
of Tovata
and Ro Alivereti Tuisawau of Burebasaga
as the two Vice-Presidents, thus representing at the apex of the party the leading chiefly clans from the three confederacies to which all Fijian chiefs
belong. Ratu Josefa Dimuri
was appointed General Secretary of the party.
, who led the civilian coup d'état
against the elected government of Mahendra Chaudhry
in May 2000, joined the new party, as did many of his supporters. In the parliamentary election
held to restore democracy in August 2001, the party fielded candidates in 36 of the 71 electorates. Six of their candidates were elected to the House of Representatives
, including Speight. (Unable to take his seat due to his imprisonment on treason charges, Speight was subsequently expelled from Parliament for nonattendance, and his brother, Samisoni Tikoinasau
, won the ensuing byelection to fill the vacancy).
To secure a legislative majority, the United Fiji Party (SDL) of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase
forged a coalition agreement with the Conservative Alliance. The party initially insisted on Speight's release from jail as the price of its participation in the government, but later dropped this demand. The then leader of the party, Ratu
Rakuita Vakalalabure
, was appointed Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
, and two members of the caucus were appointed to the Cabinet
. Ratu
Naiqama Lalabalavu
became Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and Isireli Leweniqila
became Minister for Youth, Employment Opportunities, and sport. As part of a deal brokered between the military
and the insurrectionists, Ratu
Jope Seniloli
, another party stalwart, had already been appointed Vice-President in September 2000, following the end of the rebellion.
had made an offer to the CAMV after the 2001 election. All six CAMV parliamentarians, including coup frontsman George Speight
, would be given Cabinet
office; one of them would be offered the post of Prime Minister
. All prisoners held on coup-related offences would also be freed in return for CAMV support, Fiji Live
quoted Drole as saying. "This information was relayed to us on Nukulau by CAMV lawyer Kitione Vuataki," Drole told the meeting. He went on to claim that the CAMV had made the very difficult decision to refuse the offer; the prospect of freedom was tempting, he said, but the priority was to ensure that an ethnic Fijian government held office.
FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry
rejected Drole's claims as "utter lies." "Drole should have his head examined," he said.
accepted his defence that he had been coerced into taking an illegal oath of office during the coup.
Anxious to retain the support of his coalition partner, and shore up his electoral base in the Bau
-Tailevu
region, in which Seniloli is an influential chief, Prime Minister Qarase said that he was "dismayed by the severity of the sentences" handed down. His government indicated, however, that it would not interfere with the due process of law. On 29 November 2004, however, Attorney General Qoriniasi Bale
announced that the government had decided to parole
Seniloli on health grounds, in return for his resignation.
A similar scenario unfolded in the trial of Ratu Lalabalavu, the party leader, and Senator
Ratu Josefa Dimuri
, also a party member. On 3 April 2005, Lalabalavu and Dimuri were convicted of unlawful assembly
for their role aiding and abetting the 2000 coup by visiting rebels at the Sukanaivalu Barracks on 4 July that year, and were sentenced to eight months' imprisonment. They were released on parole
after serving just eleven days of their sentences.
Opposition politicians charged that the release of Seniloli, Lalabalavu, and Dimuri was for political reasons, as the six votes of the Conservative Alliance are needed to maintain the government's parliamentary majority. The military
also criticized their release. This led to a series of exchanged in April 2005, with the Conservative Alliance accusing the military
of meddling in politics, and the military in turn charging that Alliance politicians included many who had "created havoc" in the 2000 coup. In a strongly worded statement on 25 April 2005, army spokesman Captain Neumi Leweni
declared, "The RFMF would like to remind the CAMV that they were the very people who created the havoc from which the country is still trying to recover."
Trials of persons implicated in the 2000 coup, many of them Conservative Alliance members, are continuing.
to contest the general election
scheduled for 2006. Sivo opposed the decision, and said that Cakobau had acted without proper authority. Each subsequently called on the other to resign, and on 9 August, Cakobau said that he expected Sivo to be replaced by his predecessor, Ratu Josefa Dimuri
. Sivo countered that he had no intention of relinquishing his position, and said that he could be only removed if the party judged him unfit for the post. He reiterated on 16 September that he would not stand aside for Dimuri. Responding to a letter that Cakobau had sent to Dimuri reinstating him, Sivo said that Cakobau had no such powers. He accused him of taking advantage of the famous Cakobau
name to make unilateral decisions that were beyond his authority.
The public disagreement between Cakobau and Sivo appeared to be related to a wider debate about the policies and effectiveness of the party as a member of the ruling coalition. Without naming particular individuals, Sivo criticized certain colleagues on the CAMV executive on 17 September of being too subservient to the United Fiji Party, the dominant partner in the ruling coalition. The party should have pushed for the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill
three years ago, Sivo said. The controversial legislation, promoted by the government in 2005, proposed to establish a commission empowered to compensate victims and pardon perpetrators of the 2000 coup
, many of whom were supporters of the CAMV.
(the faith of most ethnic Fijians
, but relatively few Indo-Fijians), as the official religion of Fiji. Officially, the party accepts the 1997 Constitution
, calling it "a workable document," but in practice many of its elected representatives have strongly criticized it.
Despite its strongly nationalist image, reinforced by the arrest and conviction
of many of its members for participation in the 2000 coup, the CAMV claims to espouse nonracial policies. The party President, Ratu Tanoa Cakobau, said on 8 June 2005 that anybody respected by the population could be Prime Minister, regardless of his or her race or status. He said this in response to a comment from Poseci Bune
, Deputy Leader of the Fiji Labour Party
, that the country should be ready for a non-indigenous Prime Minister.
Tanoa Cakobau announced on 9 February 2006 that the party would contest Fijian
communal
and open
constituencies in the upcoming election
. In another development, however, it was announced on 16 February 2006 that the party would be deregistering, in order to merge with the United Fiji Party (SDL) ahead of the elections.
Fiji Television
reported on 20 February that a letter alleged to have been written by Ratu Tanoa Cakobau had requested that the six CAMV parliamentarians be endorsed, unopposed, as SDL candidates. The SDL confirmed having received letter, written in Fijian
and addressed to Prime Minister Qarase and to the SDL President, but Cakobau said that some portions of it were not authentic; his name had been written differently from the way he uses it official correspondence, he said.
The Prime Minister responded that all candidacies for the SDL were open, and that there would be no automatic endorsement of candidates, ex-CAMV or otherwise. All would have to go through the required selection procedure.
The next day, Fiji Live
revealed that in addition to the six parliamentarians, five other CAMV figures were seeking endorsement as SDL candidates.
Radio New Zealand
quoted Party President Ratu
Tanoa Cakobau as saying on 28 February that the party had sacrificed little in its merger with the SDL. The party had abandoned its goal of freeing all coup convicts as long ago as 2002, he claimed. "We had to reconsider everything, in the beginning we were all out for everything, but then we realised that there’s something called the law that we had to respect, we had to follow. And through that process most of my party members, except myself, went to jail," Cakobau said.
The merger was not quite finalized until 3 July 2006, when the party was officially deregistered. General Secretary Ratu
Rakuita Vakalalabure
said on 28 February that the party was seeking legal advice after questions had been raised concerning the legality of the merger; his successor as General Secretary, Ropate Sivo, had said that CAMV parliamentarians could not legally remain in office if their political party was dissolved. Official deregistration, therefore, would likely have to await the end of the current parliamentary session, a stance he reiterated on 3 March. Sivo, for his part, told Fiji Live
that he planned to meet Opposition Leader
Mahendra Chaudhry
to discuss the matter. On 20 February, however, Prime Minister Qarase said that there was no question of the six CAMV parliamentarians being disqualified. Despite the dissolution of the party, they would continue to sit under the auspices of the CAMV, he said.
The Fiji Sun
reported on 10 March that CAMV parliamentarian and lawyer Niko Nawaikula
had inquired of the Supervisor of Elections about the procedures to follow for deregistering the party.
Naiqama Lalabalavu
told the meeting that in accordance with Fijian protocol, President
Ratu
Josefa Iloilo
had been informed of the decision, as had the chiefs of Vanua Levu
, Naitasiri
, and Tailevu
- the areas where the party has the most support. The party executive called on all indigenous-led parties to follow their lead and unite under the banner of the SDL, in order to present the electorate with a united front to guarantee continued indigenous national leadership. Lalabalavu said that the party was concerned about continued imprisonment of persons convicted of the Fiji coup of 2000
, many of them CAMV supporters, but considered that the SDL-led government was addressing that matter through its Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill
.
The Fiji Live
news service claimed on 19 February that financial considerations may have played a role in the decision to disband the CAMV. The SDL had reportedly donated F$15,000
to pay the legal fees of prominent citizens, many of them CAMV supporters, who were implicated in the 2000 coup a point highlighted at the CAMV meeting. The party leader, Ratu
Naiqama Lalabalavu
, was also quoted as telling opponents of the merger that their failure to contribute to the party's coffers had left it with insufficient funds to continue as a viable party. Party treasurer Jone Kauvesi concurred, saying that the CAMV bank account of F$36,351.07
on 26 May 2004 had been boosted to F$50,713.36
on 7 July by the SDL donation, but by February 2006 his had been depleted and only F$3235.31
remained. The bulk of the fund - over F$31,000
had gone in legal fees, Kauvesi said, with the Abhay Singh and Associates legal firm alone being paid F$7,400
. Travel, funeral expenses, advertising in newspapers, byelection campaigns, and meetings had accounted for the rest.
The SDL appeared to see the merger from a different point of view from the CAMV. According to a Radio New Zealand
report on 18 February, SDL campaign director Jale Baba
said that the CAMV had dissolved of its own accord and joined the SDL, not that the two parties had merged. "In fact there’s a misconception that there’s a merger between the two parties. What has happened is that the CAMV has decided to wind up that party and for them to become members of the SDL party," Baba said.
quoted former Prime Minister
Sitiveni Rabuka
as hailing the merger as "the way forward for the Fijian people." Nationalist Vanua Tako Lavo Party
general secretary Viliame Savu, however, condemned the merger.
Fiji Labour Party
leader Mahendra Chaudhry
said that the merger could misfire. He doubted that all CAMV supporters would transfer their allegiance to the SDL, thinking it more likely that some would move to other parties at election time. United Peoples Party
leader Mick Beddoes
similarly judged the decision to be unwise. Fiji Village
quoted him on the 19th as saying that the merger could further polarize Fiji's ethnic communities.
The Fijian Political Party (SVT), from which the CAMV originally broke away, said on 23 February 2006 that not all CAMV members supported the merger with the SDL. Ema Druavesi
, General Secretary of the SVT, told the Fiji Village
news service that the door was open for former CAMV members to join the SVT.
People's National Party
(PNP) General Secretary Meli Bogileka
also criticized the merger, and said that the PNP was reconsidering its position in the Grand Coalition Initiative Group.
In a statement written in Fijian
and released on 22 February, the Military
criticized the merger as a sign of increasing ethno-nationalism, which it described as a threat to the country's long-term stability. For the SDL to accept the CAMV members into its ranks was a betrayal of the trust the Military had invested in Qarase when appointing him Prime Minister in 2000 and supporting him subsequently, Fiji Live
(23 February) reported the statement as saying. The 23 February edition of the Fiji Times
quoted Rabukawaqa as saying that certain political elements would stop at nothing to pursue their personal political ambitions. They wish to continue to keep the masses in abject poverty so that they can be beguiled by the continued lie of foreigners wanting to take their land from them," Rabukawaqa said. Rabukawaqa said that nationalism was a good thing when it was state based, but could only lead to hatred and instability if based on ethnicity.
that he was seeking legal advice on whether the vote to dissolve the party had been conducted legally. He had visited Metuisela Mua
, Eroni Lewaqai and Viliame Sousouwai in prison (where they are serving for coup-related offences) and had been advised by them to pursue legal action, he said. George Speight
and the former leader, Ratu
Rakuita Vakalalabure
were also adamantly opposed to the merger, he claimed.
Sivo reiterated his opposition to the merger on 27 February, saying that it breached the constitution of the party. Only the management board could authorize a dissolution, and Tailevu
was the only Province
represented at the meeting, the Fiji Sun
quoted him as claiming. The move was a private agreement between the SDL and Ratu
Naiqama Lalabalavu
, he said, adding that many who disagreed with the merger were remaining silent only because of their traditional obligation to Lalabalavu as a Paramount Chief. He made a strong attack on Prime Minister Qarase, calling on him to resign, and mooted the establishment of a new party under the old CAMV label.
Sivo rejected claims made by General Secretary Ratu
Josefa Dimuri
that the party had begun in the north of the country and largely built by Lalabalvu, Isireli Leweniqila
, and himself. On the contrary, Sivo claimed that the groundwork had been laid by Vakalalabure, his brother Ratu Tevita
, and himself; Sivo had provided part of his own restaurant in Suva
for a party office, he claimed. "These people joined the bandwagon when it was up and running. That is why they don’t have the foresight to complete the work we have started, and that is to fulfill the aspirations of the Fijian people and the release of our brothers in jail," the Fiji Sun
(1 March) quoted him as saying. He accused Dimuri of failing to read a letter at the meeting held to dissolve the party; Dimuri countered by saying that no such letter had been received. Sivo affirmed his belief in the ideals articulated by the Speight-led Taukei Cabinet on 19 May 2000, saying that they would never die.
Countering Sivo's version, the Fiji Times
(2 March) quoted Dimuri as saying that the meeting to dissolve the party had been attended by over four hundred cadres and that the decision to join the SDL had been nearly unanimous. He rejected Sivo's claims about the origins of the party, saying that he personally had registered the party in Labasa
. He also denied that George Speight had opposed the decision, saying that if he had objected to the dissolution of the party, he would have informed his brother and CAMV Cabinet Minister
Samisoni Tikoinasau
, who visited him regularly in prison.
Fiji Live
quoted a Fiji Sun
report on 13 June 2006 as saying that Sivo had announced plans to revive the party, with a view to campaigning for the release of George Speight and other parties to the 2000 coup.
Fijian language
Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji. It has 450,000 first-language speakers, which is less than half the population of Fiji, but another 200,000 speak it as a second language...
) was a far-right political party in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, and a member of the ruling coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
government. It was commonly known as the CAMV, a combination of the initials of its English and Fijian names. At its annual general meeting on 17 February 2006, the party voted to dissolve itself and merge with its coalition partner, the United Fiji Party (SDL). The President of the party at the time of its dissolution was Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Tanoa Cakobau, a Bauan chief
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
, while Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Josefa Dimuri
Josefa Dimuri
Ratu Josefa Nalumuialevu Dimuri is a Fijian chief and politician, who served as a Senator from 2001 to 2006, when he was elected to the House of Representatives...
served as General Secretary. For legal reasons, Parliamentary members of the disbanded party maintained a separate caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
in the House of Representatives, under the leadership of Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Naiqama Lalabalavu
Naiqama Lalabalavu
Ratu Naiqama Tawake Lalabalavu is a Fijian Paramount Chief and politician. He was the Minister for Lands and Minister for Mineral Resources in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, prior to his resignation on 7 April 2005...
, until the end of the parliamentary term, on 27 March 2006.
Party founding
The Conservative Alliance was publicly launched at Furnival Park in Toorak, SuvaSuva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, on 15 June 2001 by defectors who broke away from the SVT, which had governed the country from 1992 to 1999, when it lost the general elections
Fiji election of 1999
General elections were held in Fiji between 8 and 15 May 1999. They were the first election held under the revised Constitution of 1997, which instituted a new electoral system and resulted in Mahendra Chaudhry taking office as Fiji's first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister.-Electoral system:Previously,...
held that year. As part of its founding ideology, the party emphasized that the offices of President and Prime Minister should be reserved for indigenous Fijians
Fijian people
Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown...
, and that Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
should be constitutionally
Constitution of Fiji
The 1997 Constitution of Fiji was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009 when President Josefa Iloilo purported to abrogate it. It was also suspended for a period following the 2000 coup d'état led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama....
established as the country's official religion. Among those attending the launch was the Rev. Tomasi Kanailagi
Tomasi Kanailagi
Tomasi Kanailagi is a Fijian Methodist minister and political leader. The former President of the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma, Fiji's largest Christian denomination, served in the Senate from 2001 to 2006 as a nominee of the Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase...
, President of the Methodist Church. Ratu Epenisa Cakobau
Epenisa Cakobau
Ratu Epenisa Seru Cakobau is a Fijian chief. Cakobau is a senior member of the Tui Kaba clan and a high chief on the island of Bau. The son of the late Ratu Sir George Cakobau , the former Vunivalu of Bau Ratu Epenisa Seru Cakobau is a Fijian chief. Cakobau is a senior member of the Tui Kaba...
, a Kubuna
Kubuna Confederacy
Kubuna is one of three confederacies which comprise Fiji's House of Chiefs, to which all of Fiji's chiefs belong.-Details of Kubuna:It consists of the provinces of Tailevu, Naitasiri, Lomaiviti, and parts of the western provinces of Ba, Ra...
chief
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
, was appointed President of the party, with Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu
Naiqama Lalabalavu
Ratu Naiqama Tawake Lalabalavu is a Fijian Paramount Chief and politician. He was the Minister for Lands and Minister for Mineral Resources in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, prior to his resignation on 7 April 2005...
of Tovata
Tovata Confederacy
Tovata is one of three confederacies comprising the Fijian House of Chiefs, to which all of Fiji's chiefs belong.-Details of Tovata:It is located in the north east of the country, covering the provinces of Bua, Macuata and Cakaudrove on the northern island Vanua Levu, as well as the Lau Islands.The...
and Ro Alivereti Tuisawau of Burebasaga
Burebasaga Confederacy
Burebasaga is the largest of the three confederacies that make up Fiji's House of Chiefs, to which all Fijian chiefs belong.-Composition of Burebasaga:...
as the two Vice-Presidents, thus representing at the apex of the party the leading chiefly clans from the three confederacies to which all Fijian chiefs
House of Chiefs (Fiji)
The term House of Chiefs is a collective term used to refer to the Fijian nobility, which consists of about seventy chiefs of various ranks. It is not a formal political body and should not be confused with the Great Council of Chiefs, which is a political body with a prescribed constitutional role...
belong. Ratu Josefa Dimuri
Josefa Dimuri
Ratu Josefa Nalumuialevu Dimuri is a Fijian chief and politician, who served as a Senator from 2001 to 2006, when he was elected to the House of Representatives...
was appointed General Secretary of the party.
The 2001 election
George SpeightGeorge Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, 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...
, who led the civilian coup d'état
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 a non-native Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to assert executive authority on 27 May, and...
against the elected government of Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
in May 2000, joined the new party, as did many of his supporters. In the parliamentary election
Fiji election of 2001
The Constitution of Fiji was restored by a High Court decision on 15 November 2000, following the failure of the political upheaval in which the government had been deposed and the constitution suspended in May that year. On 1 March 2001, the Appeal Court upheld the decision. An election to...
held to restore democracy in August 2001, the party fielded candidates in 36 of the 71 electorates. Six of their candidates were elected to the House of Representatives
House of Representatives (Fiji)
The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fiji's Parliament. It is the more powerful of the two chambers; it alone has the power to initiate legislation...
, including Speight. (Unable to take his seat due to his imprisonment on treason charges, Speight was subsequently expelled from Parliament for nonattendance, and his brother, Samisoni Tikoinasau
Samisoni Tikoinasau
Samisoni Tikoinasau Speight is a Fijian politician, who held Cabinet office as Minister of State for Public Utilities and Reforms, to which he was appointed after parliametary election of May 2006. Previously, he was Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources from 2005 to 2006...
, won the ensuing byelection to fill the vacancy).
To secure a legislative majority, the United Fiji Party (SDL) of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase is a Fijian political figure. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase joined the Interim Military Government as a financial adviser on 9 June 2000, until his appointment...
forged a coalition agreement with the Conservative Alliance. The party initially insisted on Speight's release from jail as the price of its participation in the government, but later dropped this demand. The then leader of the party, Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Rakuita Vakalalabure
Rakuita Vakalalabure
Ratu Rakuita Saurara Vakalalabure is a Fijian lawyer and politician. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 and following the elections after the 2000 political uphevals was a candidate of the Conservative Alliance...
, was appointed Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
House of Representatives (Fiji)
The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fiji's Parliament. It is the more powerful of the two chambers; it alone has the power to initiate legislation...
, and two members of the caucus were appointed to the Cabinet
Cabinet (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. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime...
. Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Naiqama Lalabalavu
Naiqama Lalabalavu
Ratu Naiqama Tawake Lalabalavu is a Fijian Paramount Chief and politician. He was the Minister for Lands and Minister for Mineral Resources in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, prior to his resignation on 7 April 2005...
became Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and Isireli Leweniqila
Isireli Leweniqila
Isireli Leweniqila is a Fijian politician, who currently serves in the Cabinet as Minister for Information and Communications.- Biography :A former businessman and farmer, Isireli Leweniqila is the son of the veteran politician, Militoni Leweniqila....
became Minister for Youth, Employment Opportunities, and sport. As part of a deal brokered between the military
Military of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...
and the insurrectionists, Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Jope Seniloli
Jope Seniloli
Ratu Jope Naucabalavu Seniloli is a Fijian chief who holds the title of Turaga Taukei Naua and who served as Fiji's Vice-President 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...
, another party stalwart, had already been appointed Vice-President in September 2000, following the end of the rebellion.
Alleged FLP offer
At the annual general meeting held to dissolve the party on 17 February 2006, coup-convict Simione Drole claimed that the Fiji Labour PartyFiji Labour Party
The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...
had made an offer to the CAMV after the 2001 election. All six CAMV parliamentarians, including coup frontsman George Speight
George Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, 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...
, would be given Cabinet
Cabinet (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. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime...
office; one of them would be offered the post of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Fiji
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji is the head of government of Fiji. The Prime Minister was appointed by the President under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution....
. All prisoners held on coup-related offences would also be freed in return for CAMV support, Fiji Live
Fiji Live
Fijilive is an online newspaper and business and cultural directory in Fiji. The site is owned by the Future Group of Companies owned by Fiji entrepreneur Yashwant Gaunder....
quoted Drole as saying. "This information was relayed to us on Nukulau by CAMV lawyer Kitione Vuataki," Drole told the meeting. He went on to claim that the CAMV had made the very difficult decision to refuse the offer; the prospect of freedom was tempting, he said, but the priority was to ensure that an ethnic Fijian government held office.
FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
rejected Drole's claims as "utter lies." "Drole should have his head examined," he said.
Arrest of CAMV members
In 2004, a number of high-profile members of the Conservative Alliance were arrested and charged with treason for their roles in the 2000 coup. On 6 August 2004, Vice-President Seniloli and Deputy Speaker Vakalalabure were convicted and sentenced to terms of four and six years' imprisonment respectively. Youth, Employment, and Sports Minister Leweniqila was acquitted; Justice Nazhat ShameemNazhat Shameem
Nazhat Shameem is a former Fiji Indian judge.She was appointed to the bench in 1999 as Fiji's first, and 2007 so far only, Indo-Fijian female High Court judge...
accepted his defence that he had been coerced into taking an illegal oath of office during the coup.
Anxious to retain the support of his coalition partner, and shore up his electoral base in the Bau
Bau Island
Bau is a small island in Fiji, off the east coast of the main island of Viti Levu.-History:With the aid of Charlie Savage, who brought firearms to Bau Island, the Bauan people quickly established themselves as an undefeatable military force...
-Tailevu
Tailevu
Tailevu is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji. One of eight Provinces based in Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island, its 755 square kilometers occupy the south-eastern fringe of the island, along with some central areas. At the 2007 census, the most recent to date, it had a population of 55,692, the...
region, in which Seniloli is an influential chief, Prime Minister Qarase said that he was "dismayed by the severity of the sentences" handed down. His government indicated, however, that it would not interfere with the due process of law. On 29 November 2004, however, Attorney General Qoriniasi Bale
Qoriniasi Bale
Qoriniasi Babitu Bale is a lawyer and political leader, who has served twice as Fiji's Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, most recently from 2001 to 2006, when he was deposed in the military coup of 5 December...
announced that the government had decided to parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
Seniloli on health grounds, in return for his resignation.
A similar scenario unfolded in the trial of Ratu Lalabalavu, the party leader, and Senator
Senate (Fiji)
The Senate of Fiji is the upper chamber of Parliament. It is the less powerful of the two chambers; it may not initiate legislation, but may amend or veto it. The Senate's powers over financial bills are more restricted: it may veto them in their entirety, but may not amend them...
Ratu Josefa Dimuri
Josefa Dimuri
Ratu Josefa Nalumuialevu Dimuri is a Fijian chief and politician, who served as a Senator from 2001 to 2006, when he was elected to the House of Representatives...
, also a party member. On 3 April 2005, Lalabalavu and Dimuri were convicted of unlawful assembly
Unlawful assembly
Unlawful assembly is a legal term to describe a group of people with the mutual intent of deliberate disturbance of the peace. If the group are about to start the act of disturbance, it is termed a rout; if the disturbance is commenced, it is then termed a riot.- Section 144 :Section 144 is a...
for their role aiding and abetting the 2000 coup by visiting rebels at the Sukanaivalu Barracks on 4 July that year, and were sentenced to eight months' imprisonment. They were released on parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
after serving just eleven days of their sentences.
Opposition politicians charged that the release of Seniloli, Lalabalavu, and Dimuri was for political reasons, as the six votes of the Conservative Alliance are needed to maintain the government's parliamentary majority. The military
Military of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...
also criticized their release. This led to a series of exchanged in April 2005, with the Conservative Alliance accusing the military
Military of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...
of meddling in politics, and the military in turn charging that Alliance politicians included many who had "created havoc" in the 2000 coup. In a strongly worded statement on 25 April 2005, army spokesman Captain Neumi Leweni
Neumi Leweni
Neumi Leweni is a Fijian Army officer and diplomat, who holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He hails from the Lau Islands. He joined the Military in 1974 and by 2006 was one of two official spokesmen for the Military, the other being Lieutenant Colonel Orisi Rabukawaqa. In August 2007, he...
declared, "The RFMF would like to remind the CAMV that they were the very people who created the havoc from which the country is still trying to recover."
Trials of persons implicated in the 2000 coup, many of them Conservative Alliance members, are continuing.
Controversies, 2005-2006
A power struggle between the President and General Secretary of the party took place in September 2005. On 30 July 2005, Cakobau signed an agreement with four other parties to establish an electoral coalition of parties supported mostly by indigenous FijiansFijian people
Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown...
to contest the general election
Fiji election of 2006
The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. The latest election was held on 6-13 May 2006. Acting President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi issued a proclamation on 2 March, effective from 27 March, dissolving Parliament...
scheduled for 2006. Sivo opposed the decision, and said that Cakobau had acted without proper authority. Each subsequently called on the other to resign, and on 9 August, Cakobau said that he expected Sivo to be replaced by his predecessor, Ratu Josefa Dimuri
Josefa Dimuri
Ratu Josefa Nalumuialevu Dimuri is a Fijian chief and politician, who served as a Senator from 2001 to 2006, when he was elected to the House of Representatives...
. Sivo countered that he had no intention of relinquishing his position, and said that he could be only removed if the party judged him unfit for the post. He reiterated on 16 September that he would not stand aside for Dimuri. Responding to a letter that Cakobau had sent to Dimuri reinstating him, Sivo said that Cakobau had no such powers. He accused him of taking advantage of the famous Cakobau
Vunivalu of Bau
Turaga na Vunivalu ni Bau is the Paramount Chief of the Kubuna Confederacy, loosely translated the title means Warlord of Bau or Root of War. The succession to the title does not follow primogeniture, but the candidate must be a high ranking member of the Tui Kaba clan.-A brief history:The...
name to make unilateral decisions that were beyond his authority.
The public disagreement between Cakobau and Sivo appeared to be related to a wider debate about the policies and effectiveness of the party as a member of the ruling coalition. Without naming particular individuals, Sivo criticized certain colleagues on the CAMV executive on 17 September of being too subservient to the United Fiji Party, the dominant partner in the ruling coalition. The party should have pushed for the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill
Reconciliation and Unity Commission (Fiji)
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 4 May 2005 is passed...
three years ago, Sivo said. The controversial legislation, promoted by the government in 2005, proposed to establish a commission empowered to compensate victims and pardon perpetrators of the 2000 coup
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 a non-native Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to assert executive authority on 27 May, and...
, many of whom were supporters of the CAMV.
Policies
The CAMV contested the 2001 election on a platform calling for a greater emphasis on indigenous rights and the proclamation of ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
(the faith of most ethnic Fijians
Fijian people
Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown...
, but relatively few Indo-Fijians), as the official religion of Fiji. Officially, the party accepts the 1997 Constitution
Constitution of Fiji
The 1997 Constitution of Fiji was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009 when President Josefa Iloilo purported to abrogate it. It was also suspended for a period following the 2000 coup d'état led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama....
, calling it "a workable document," but in practice many of its elected representatives have strongly criticized it.
Despite its strongly nationalist image, reinforced by the arrest and conviction
Aftermath of Fiji coup of 2000
The Constitution of Fiji, which had been abrogated by the Interim Military Government of Commodore Frank Bainimarama , was reinstated by the High Court on 15 November that year. This ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal on 1 March 2001...
of many of its members for participation in the 2000 coup, the CAMV claims to espouse nonracial policies. The party President, Ratu Tanoa Cakobau, said on 8 June 2005 that anybody respected by the population could be Prime Minister, regardless of his or her race or status. He said this in response to a comment from Poseci Bune
Poseci Bune
Poseci Waqalevu Bune is a Fijian politician, who has served as Deputy Leader of the Fiji Labour Party . From June to December 2006, he served as Minister for the Environment, one of nine FLP ministers, in the multiparty Cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase...
, Deputy Leader of the Fiji Labour Party
Fiji Labour Party
The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...
, that the country should be ready for a non-indigenous Prime Minister.
Merger with SDL
Party President RatuRatu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Tanoa Cakobau announced on 9 February 2006 that the party would contest Fijian
Fijian people
Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown...
communal
Communal constituencies (Fiji)
Communal constituencies have been the most durable feature of the Fijian electoral system. In communal constituencies, electors enrolled as ethnic Fijians, Indo-Fijians, Rotuman Islanders, or General Electors vote for a candidate of their own respective ethnic groups, in constituencies that have...
and open
Open constituencies (Fiji)
Open constituencies represent one of several electoral models employed in the past and present in the Fijian electoral system. They derive their name from the fact that they are "open": unlike the communal constituencies, the 25 members of the House of Representatives who represent open...
constituencies in the upcoming election
Fiji election of 2006
The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. The latest election was held on 6-13 May 2006. Acting President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi issued a proclamation on 2 March, effective from 27 March, dissolving Parliament...
. In another development, however, it was announced on 16 February 2006 that the party would be deregistering, in order to merge with the United Fiji Party (SDL) ahead of the elections.
Fiji Television
Fiji Television
Fiji Television Limited is Fiji's television network. It was founded on 15 June 1994 as the first permanent television broadcasting network in the country, although television had previously been introduced temporarily in October 1991 to broadcast the Rugby World Cup as well as Cricket World Cup....
reported on 20 February that a letter alleged to have been written by Ratu Tanoa Cakobau had requested that the six CAMV parliamentarians be endorsed, unopposed, as SDL candidates. The SDL confirmed having received letter, written in Fijian
Fijian language
Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji. It has 450,000 first-language speakers, which is less than half the population of Fiji, but another 200,000 speak it as a second language...
and addressed to Prime Minister Qarase and to the SDL President, but Cakobau said that some portions of it were not authentic; his name had been written differently from the way he uses it official correspondence, he said.
The Prime Minister responded that all candidacies for the SDL were open, and that there would be no automatic endorsement of candidates, ex-CAMV or otherwise. All would have to go through the required selection procedure.
The next day, Fiji Live
Fiji Live
Fijilive is an online newspaper and business and cultural directory in Fiji. The site is owned by the Future Group of Companies owned by Fiji entrepreneur Yashwant Gaunder....
revealed that in addition to the six parliamentarians, five other CAMV figures were seeking endorsement as SDL candidates.
Radio New Zealand
Radio New Zealand
Radio New Zealand is a New Zealand public service radio broadcaster and Crown entity formed by the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It operates news, current affairs and arts network Radio New Zealand National and classical music and jazz network Radio New Zealand Concert with full government funding...
quoted Party President Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Tanoa Cakobau as saying on 28 February that the party had sacrificed little in its merger with the SDL. The party had abandoned its goal of freeing all coup convicts as long ago as 2002, he claimed. "We had to reconsider everything, in the beginning we were all out for everything, but then we realised that there’s something called the law that we had to respect, we had to follow. And through that process most of my party members, except myself, went to jail," Cakobau said.
The merger was not quite finalized until 3 July 2006, when the party was officially deregistered. General Secretary Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Rakuita Vakalalabure
Rakuita Vakalalabure
Ratu Rakuita Saurara Vakalalabure is a Fijian lawyer and politician. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 and following the elections after the 2000 political uphevals was a candidate of the Conservative Alliance...
said on 28 February that the party was seeking legal advice after questions had been raised concerning the legality of the merger; his successor as General Secretary, Ropate Sivo, had said that CAMV parliamentarians could not legally remain in office if their political party was dissolved. Official deregistration, therefore, would likely have to await the end of the current parliamentary session, a stance he reiterated on 3 March. Sivo, for his part, told Fiji Live
Fiji Live
Fijilive is an online newspaper and business and cultural directory in Fiji. The site is owned by the Future Group of Companies owned by Fiji entrepreneur Yashwant Gaunder....
that he planned to meet Opposition Leader
Leader of the Opposition (Fiji)
The post of Leader of the Opposition is a political office common in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. It did not originate in Fiji but has a long tradition; in British constitutional theory, the Leader of the Opposition must pose a formal alternative to the government, ready...
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
to discuss the matter. On 20 February, however, Prime Minister Qarase said that there was no question of the six CAMV parliamentarians being disqualified. Despite the dissolution of the party, they would continue to sit under the auspices of the CAMV, he said.
The Fiji Sun
Fiji Sun
The Fiji Sun is a daily newspaper published in Fiji. Owned by Sun News Limited, it was first published in September 1999. An internet edition is also published....
reported on 10 March that CAMV parliamentarian and lawyer Niko Nawaikula
Niko Nawaikula
Niko Nawaikula is a Fijian politician, who was appointed to the House of Representatives on 22 June 2005. The Conservative Alliance candidate was declared elected unopposed, after the only other candidate, Ratu Osea Vakalalabure of the United Fiji Party withdrew from the contest, thus averting...
had inquired of the Supervisor of Elections about the procedures to follow for deregistering the party.
Factors influencing the merger
The decision to deregister the party was formalized at the party's annual general meeting the next day. Despite some dissent, the motion was passed on a voice vote. RatuRatu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Naiqama Lalabalavu
Naiqama Lalabalavu
Ratu Naiqama Tawake Lalabalavu is a Fijian Paramount Chief and politician. He was the Minister for Lands and Minister for Mineral Resources in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, prior to his resignation on 7 April 2005...
told the meeting that in accordance with Fijian protocol, President
President of Fiji
The President of the Republic of Fiji is the head of state of Fiji. The President was appointed by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution. The Great Council of Chiefs is constitutionally required to consult the Prime Minister, but...
Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Josefa Iloilo
Josefa Iloilo
Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda, CF, MBE, MSD, KStJ was the President of Fiji from 2000 until 2009, excluding a brief period from 5 December 2006 until 4 January 2007 . He held the traditional title of Tui Vuda, the paramount chief of the Vuda district in Ba Province on Fiji's northwest coast...
had been informed of the decision, as had the chiefs of Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu , formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located 64 kilometres to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of 5,587.1 km² and a population of some 130,000.- Geography :...
, Naitasiri
Naitasiri
Naitasiri is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji and one of eight based in Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island.-Geography and infrastructure:Naitasiri as a province covers 1,666 square kilometers , the Province occupies the area to the north and east of Suva, the capital...
, and Tailevu
Tailevu
Tailevu is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji. One of eight Provinces based in Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island, its 755 square kilometers occupy the south-eastern fringe of the island, along with some central areas. At the 2007 census, the most recent to date, it had a population of 55,692, the...
- the areas where the party has the most support. The party executive called on all indigenous-led parties to follow their lead and unite under the banner of the SDL, in order to present the electorate with a united front to guarantee continued indigenous national leadership. Lalabalavu said that the party was concerned about continued imprisonment of persons convicted of the Fiji coup of 2000
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 a non-native Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, on 19 May 2000, the attempt by President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara to assert executive authority on 27 May, and...
, many of them CAMV supporters, but considered that the SDL-led government was addressing that matter through its Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill
Reconciliation and Unity Commission (Fiji)
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 4 May 2005 is passed...
.
The Fiji Live
Fiji Live
Fijilive is an online newspaper and business and cultural directory in Fiji. The site is owned by the Future Group of Companies owned by Fiji entrepreneur Yashwant Gaunder....
news service claimed on 19 February that financial considerations may have played a role in the decision to disband the CAMV. The SDL had reportedly donated F$15,000
Fijian dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Fiji since 1969 and was also the currency between 1867 and 1873. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
to pay the legal fees of prominent citizens, many of them CAMV supporters, who were implicated in the 2000 coup a point highlighted at the CAMV meeting. The party leader, Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Naiqama Lalabalavu
Naiqama Lalabalavu
Ratu Naiqama Tawake Lalabalavu is a Fijian Paramount Chief and politician. He was the Minister for Lands and Minister for Mineral Resources in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, prior to his resignation on 7 April 2005...
, was also quoted as telling opponents of the merger that their failure to contribute to the party's coffers had left it with insufficient funds to continue as a viable party. Party treasurer Jone Kauvesi concurred, saying that the CAMV bank account of F$36,351.07
Fijian dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Fiji since 1969 and was also the currency between 1867 and 1873. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
on 26 May 2004 had been boosted to F$50,713.36
Fijian dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Fiji since 1969 and was also the currency between 1867 and 1873. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
on 7 July by the SDL donation, but by February 2006 his had been depleted and only F$3235.31
Fijian dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Fiji since 1969 and was also the currency between 1867 and 1873. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
remained. The bulk of the fund - over F$31,000
Fijian dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Fiji since 1969 and was also the currency between 1867 and 1873. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
had gone in legal fees, Kauvesi said, with the Abhay Singh and Associates legal firm alone being paid F$7,400
Fijian dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Fiji since 1969 and was also the currency between 1867 and 1873. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
. Travel, funeral expenses, advertising in newspapers, byelection campaigns, and meetings had accounted for the rest.
The SDL appeared to see the merger from a different point of view from the CAMV. According to a Radio New Zealand
Radio New Zealand
Radio New Zealand is a New Zealand public service radio broadcaster and Crown entity formed by the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It operates news, current affairs and arts network Radio New Zealand National and classical music and jazz network Radio New Zealand Concert with full government funding...
report on 18 February, SDL campaign director Jale Baba
Jale Baba
Jale Baba is a Fijian businessman and political organizer. A forestry graduate of the Australian National University, he worked for Fiji Pine Limited for more than 20 years, before leaving in 1999 to start his own company- Baba Forests. He also serves as the campaign director of the ruling...
said that the CAMV had dissolved of its own accord and joined the SDL, not that the two parties had merged. "In fact there’s a misconception that there’s a merger between the two parties. What has happened is that the CAMV has decided to wind up that party and for them to become members of the SDL party," Baba said.
Reaction to the merger
The Fiji SunFiji Sun
The Fiji Sun is a daily newspaper published in Fiji. Owned by Sun News Limited, it was first published in September 1999. An internet edition is also published....
quoted former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Fiji
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji is the head of government of Fiji. The Prime Minister was appointed by the President under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution....
Sitiveni Rabuka
Sitiveni Rabuka
Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999...
as hailing the merger as "the way forward for the Fijian people." Nationalist Vanua Tako Lavo Party
Nationalist Vanua Tako Lavo Party (Fiji)
The Nationalist Vanua Tako Lavo Party is a Fijian political party which champions Fijian ethnic nationalism. It is currently led by Iliesa Duvuloco, while Viliame Savu serves as the party's President.- Founding and ideology :...
general secretary Viliame Savu, however, condemned the merger.
Fiji Labour Party
Fiji Labour Party
The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...
leader Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
said that the merger could misfire. He doubted that all CAMV supporters would transfer their allegiance to the SDL, thinking it more likely that some would move to other parties at election time. United Peoples Party
United Peoples Party (Fiji)
The United Peoples Party is a political party in Fiji, whose support base lies chiefly among General Electors - Fiji Islanders who belong to ethnic minorities, such as Europeans, Chinese, Banaban Islanders, as well as multiracial people...
leader Mick Beddoes
Mick Beddoes
Mick Malcolm Millis Beddoes, widely known as Mick Beddoes, is a Fijian politician and businessman from Nadi, who has led the United Peoples Party since 2000, and was the Leader of the Opposition at the time of the military coup of 5 December 2006...
similarly judged the decision to be unwise. Fiji Village
Fiji Village
The Fiji Village is an online news service in Fiji. Published daily, it covers political, business, sporting, cultural, and other news items, and also includes the Yellow Bucket commentary, an editorial which does not necessarily reflect the views of the Fiji Village owners or staff, according to...
quoted him on the 19th as saying that the merger could further polarize Fiji's ethnic communities.
The Fijian Political Party (SVT), from which the CAMV originally broke away, said on 23 February 2006 that not all CAMV members supported the merger with the SDL. Ema Druavesi
Ema Druavesi
Ema Druavesi is a Fijian political organizer, who currently serves as General Secretary of the Fijian Political Party, officially known by its Fijian name, Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei, or SVT.-References:...
, General Secretary of the SVT, told the Fiji Village
Fiji Village
The Fiji Village is an online news service in Fiji. Published daily, it covers political, business, sporting, cultural, and other news items, and also includes the Yellow Bucket commentary, an editorial which does not necessarily reflect the views of the Fiji Village owners or staff, according to...
news service that the door was open for former CAMV members to join the SVT.
People's National Party
People's National Party (Fiji)
The People's National Party is a former Fijian political party.-Party history:The history of the PNP is representative of the many complex about-turns of Fijian politics: it was formed by a merger of the Party of National Unity and the Protector of Fiji , which were both formally deregistered on...
(PNP) General Secretary Meli Bogileka
Meli Bogileka
Meli Bogileka is a Fijian politician. He was the Secretary of the People's National Party up to its decision to merge into the Party of National Unity on 5 March 2006. This merger, an affair complicated by several about-turns, saw Bogileka appointed Secretary of the new PANU...
also criticized the merger, and said that the PNP was reconsidering its position in the Grand Coalition Initiative Group.
In a statement written in Fijian
Fijian language
Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji. It has 450,000 first-language speakers, which is less than half the population of Fiji, but another 200,000 speak it as a second language...
and released on 22 February, the Military
Military of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...
criticized the merger as a sign of increasing ethno-nationalism, which it described as a threat to the country's long-term stability. For the SDL to accept the CAMV members into its ranks was a betrayal of the trust the Military had invested in Qarase when appointing him Prime Minister in 2000 and supporting him subsequently, Fiji Live
Fiji Live
Fijilive is an online newspaper and business and cultural directory in Fiji. The site is owned by the Future Group of Companies owned by Fiji entrepreneur Yashwant Gaunder....
(23 February) reported the statement as saying. The 23 February edition of the Fiji Times
Fiji Times
The Fiji Times is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating....
quoted Rabukawaqa as saying that certain political elements would stop at nothing to pursue their personal political ambitions. They wish to continue to keep the masses in abject poverty so that they can be beguiled by the continued lie of foreigners wanting to take their land from them," Rabukawaqa said. Rabukawaqa said that nationalism was a good thing when it was state based, but could only lead to hatred and instability if based on ethnicity.
A new CAMV?
CAMV members objecting to the merger with the SDL included Ropate Sivo, the former General Secretary. He told Fiji VillageFiji Village
The Fiji Village is an online news service in Fiji. Published daily, it covers political, business, sporting, cultural, and other news items, and also includes the Yellow Bucket commentary, an editorial which does not necessarily reflect the views of the Fiji Village owners or staff, according to...
that he was seeking legal advice on whether the vote to dissolve the party had been conducted legally. He had visited Metuisela Mua
Metuisela Mua
Colonel Metuisela Mua is former Fijian military officer, intelligence officer and politician.He was the director of the Fiji Intelligence Services, established by Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka's military government in 1988, until it was disbanded by elected Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry in 1999.He was...
, Eroni Lewaqai and Viliame Sousouwai in prison (where they are serving for coup-related offences) and had been advised by them to pursue legal action, he said. George Speight
George Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, 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...
and the former leader, Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Rakuita Vakalalabure
Rakuita Vakalalabure
Ratu Rakuita Saurara Vakalalabure is a Fijian lawyer and politician. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 and following the elections after the 2000 political uphevals was a candidate of the Conservative Alliance...
were also adamantly opposed to the merger, he claimed.
Sivo reiterated his opposition to the merger on 27 February, saying that it breached the constitution of the party. Only the management board could authorize a dissolution, and Tailevu
Tailevu
Tailevu is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji. One of eight Provinces based in Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island, its 755 square kilometers occupy the south-eastern fringe of the island, along with some central areas. At the 2007 census, the most recent to date, it had a population of 55,692, the...
was the only Province
Local government of Fiji
Fiji is divided administratively into four divisions, which are further subdivided into fourteen provinces; the self-governing island of Rotuma and its dependencies lie outside any of the four divisions. Each division is headed by a Commissioner, appointed by the Fijian government...
represented at the meeting, the Fiji Sun
Fiji Sun
The Fiji Sun is a daily newspaper published in Fiji. Owned by Sun News Limited, it was first published in September 1999. An internet edition is also published....
quoted him as claiming. The move was a private agreement between the SDL and Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Naiqama Lalabalavu
Naiqama Lalabalavu
Ratu Naiqama Tawake Lalabalavu is a Fijian Paramount Chief and politician. He was the Minister for Lands and Minister for Mineral Resources in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, prior to his resignation on 7 April 2005...
, he said, adding that many who disagreed with the merger were remaining silent only because of their traditional obligation to Lalabalavu as a Paramount Chief. He made a strong attack on Prime Minister Qarase, calling on him to resign, and mooted the establishment of a new party under the old CAMV label.
Sivo rejected claims made by General Secretary Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Josefa Dimuri
Josefa Dimuri
Ratu Josefa Nalumuialevu Dimuri is a Fijian chief and politician, who served as a Senator from 2001 to 2006, when he was elected to the House of Representatives...
that the party had begun in the north of the country and largely built by Lalabalvu, Isireli Leweniqila
Isireli Leweniqila
Isireli Leweniqila is a Fijian politician, who currently serves in the Cabinet as Minister for Information and Communications.- Biography :A former businessman and farmer, Isireli Leweniqila is the son of the veteran politician, Militoni Leweniqila....
, and himself. On the contrary, Sivo claimed that the groundwork had been laid by Vakalalabure, his brother Ratu Tevita
Tevita Vakalalabure
Ratu Tevita Vakalalabure was a Fijian chief and politician.Ratu Vakalalabure held the chiefly title of Vunivalu of Natewa, one of the three senior titles in Cakaudrove Province. He served as a Senator in the 1990s, becoming President of the Senate before winning the Cakaudrove West Fijian...
, and himself; Sivo had provided part of his own restaurant in Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
for a party office, he claimed. "These people joined the bandwagon when it was up and running. That is why they don’t have the foresight to complete the work we have started, and that is to fulfill the aspirations of the Fijian people and the release of our brothers in jail," the Fiji Sun
Fiji Sun
The Fiji Sun is a daily newspaper published in Fiji. Owned by Sun News Limited, it was first published in September 1999. An internet edition is also published....
(1 March) quoted him as saying. He accused Dimuri of failing to read a letter at the meeting held to dissolve the party; Dimuri countered by saying that no such letter had been received. Sivo affirmed his belief in the ideals articulated by the Speight-led Taukei Cabinet on 19 May 2000, saying that they would never die.
Countering Sivo's version, the Fiji Times
Fiji Times
The Fiji Times is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating....
(2 March) quoted Dimuri as saying that the meeting to dissolve the party had been attended by over four hundred cadres and that the decision to join the SDL had been nearly unanimous. He rejected Sivo's claims about the origins of the party, saying that he personally had registered the party in Labasa
Labasa
Labasa is a town in Fiji with a population of 27,949 at the most recent census held in 2007.Labasa is located in Macuata Province, in the north-eastern part of the island of Vanua Levu, and is the largest town on the island. The town itself is located on a delta formed by three rivers - the...
. He also denied that George Speight had opposed the decision, saying that if he had objected to the dissolution of the party, he would have informed his brother and CAMV Cabinet Minister
Cabinet (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. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime...
Samisoni Tikoinasau
Samisoni Tikoinasau
Samisoni Tikoinasau Speight is a Fijian politician, who held Cabinet office as Minister of State for Public Utilities and Reforms, to which he was appointed after parliametary election of May 2006. Previously, he was Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources from 2005 to 2006...
, who visited him regularly in prison.
Fiji Live
Fiji Live
Fijilive is an online newspaper and business and cultural directory in Fiji. The site is owned by the Future Group of Companies owned by Fiji entrepreneur Yashwant Gaunder....
quoted a Fiji Sun
Fiji Sun
The Fiji Sun is a daily newspaper published in Fiji. Owned by Sun News Limited, it was first published in September 1999. An internet edition is also published....
report on 13 June 2006 as saying that Sivo had announced plans to revive the party, with a view to campaigning for the release of George Speight and other parties to the 2000 coup.