Lesi Korovavala
Encyclopedia
Dr. Lesi Korovavala is a Fiji
an civil servant, who is currently
the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry for Home Affairs. He is a former senior Military
officer with a doctorate
in military studies, he reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
. He was also Aide de Camp to President Ratu
Penaia Ganilau
for a time.
Korovavala has a strained relationship with the Military
Commander, Commodore
Frank Bainimarama
. In December 2005, Bainimarama blamed him for repeated delays in the convening of a court martial
to retry 20 soldiers convicted of a mutiny
at Suva
's Queen Elizabeth Barracks
on 2 November 2000, and demanded his resignation. In a number of statements to the various Fijian news outlets, including Fiji Live
, Fiji Village
, and the Fiji Sun
, Bainimarama also announced his intention to commandeer Korovavala's office, and said in the last week of December that he had sent Military engineers to secure it.
In mid-January 2006, Fiji Labour Party
President Jokapeci Koroi
publicly accused Korovavala of having had a hand in what she said was an attempted mutiny
at Suva
's Queen Elizabeth Barracks
. Lieutenant Colonel
Jone Baledrokadroka, the Action Land Force Commander, was dismissed on 13 January by Bainimarama for alleged insubordination
, and, he added in subsequent press conferences, treats to kill him. He endorsed Koroi's allegations against Korovavala.
Korovavala angrily denied the charges, and announced his intention to pursue legal action.
The Military continued its demands for Korovavala's dismissal by lodging a formal complaint with the Public Service Commission (PSC), Military spokesman Captain Neumi Leweni
told the Fiji Sun
on 18 January. The complaint had repeated the allegation that Korovavala had been involved in an alleged plot
to instigate a mutiny
at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks on 12 January. PSC Chairman Stuart Huggett
told the Sun that a letter from Korovavala denying the allegations had been received.
Anare Jale
, the Chief Executive Officer of the PSC, announced on 24 January 2006 that an independent team to investigate the allegations against Korovavala would be named by the end of the week.
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...
an civil servant, who is currently
December 2005
-Portal:Current events:-News collections and sources:See: Wikipedia:News collections and sources....
the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry for Home Affairs. He is a former senior 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...
officer with a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in military studies, he reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. He was also Aide de Camp to 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"...
Penaia Ganilau
Penaia Ganilau
Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu Ganilau, GCMG, KCVO, KBE, DSO was the first President of Fiji, serving from 8 December 1987 until his death in 1993...
for a time.
Korovavala has a strained relationship with 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...
Commander, Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Frank Bainimarama
Frank Bainimarama
Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu , is a Fijian naval officer and politician. He is the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and, as of April 2009, Prime Minister...
. In December 2005, Bainimarama blamed him for repeated delays in the convening of a court martial
Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit Court Martial, Fiji
The mutiny that took place at Fiji's Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Suva on 2 November 2000, resulted in the death of four loyal soldiers. Four of the rebels were subsequently beaten to death after the rebellion had been quelled...
to retry 20 soldiers convicted of a mutiny
Mutinies of Fiji coup of 2000
Two military mutinies took place in connection with the civilian coup d'état 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....
at 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,...
's Queen Elizabeth Barracks
Queen Elizabeth Barracks (Fiji)
Queen Elizabeth Barracks is a Fijian Army base, located in the suburb of Nabua, in Suva. It is the national headquarters of the military.The barracks, commonly known as QEB, was the scene of an unsuccessful army mutiny on 2 November 2000...
on 2 November 2000, and demanded his resignation. In a number of statements to the various Fijian news outlets, including 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....
, 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...
, and 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....
, Bainimarama also announced his intention to commandeer Korovavala's office, and said in the last week of December that he had sent Military engineers to secure it.
In mid-January 2006, 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...
President Jokapeci Koroi
Jokapeci Koroi
Jokapeci Talei Koroi was a Fijian politician. She was currently the President of the Fiji Labour Party and a Senator. She was appointed to the Senate in 2002 as one of 8 nominees of the Leader of the Opposition, Mahendra Chaudhry....
publicly accused Korovavala of having had a hand in what she said was an attempted mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
at 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,...
's Queen Elizabeth Barracks
Queen Elizabeth Barracks (Fiji)
Queen Elizabeth Barracks is a Fijian Army base, located in the suburb of Nabua, in Suva. It is the national headquarters of the military.The barracks, commonly known as QEB, was the scene of an unsuccessful army mutiny on 2 November 2000...
. Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Jone Baledrokadroka, the Action Land Force Commander, was dismissed on 13 January by Bainimarama for alleged insubordination
Insubordination
Insubordination is the act of willfully disobeying an authority. Refusing to perform an action that is unethical or illegal is not insubordination; neither is refusing to perform an action that is not within the scope of authority of the person issuing the order.Insubordination is typically a...
, and, he added in subsequent press conferences, treats to kill him. He endorsed Koroi's allegations against Korovavala.
Korovavala angrily denied the charges, and announced his intention to pursue legal action.
The Military continued its demands for Korovavala's dismissal by lodging a formal complaint with the Public Service Commission (PSC), Military 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...
told 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....
on 18 January. The complaint had repeated the allegation that Korovavala had been involved in an alleged plot
Baledrokadroka incident
The Baledrokadroka incident was a series of events taking place in the Pacific republic of Fiji in 2006, involving an ongoing public feud between the government and military. Tensions took a dramatic turn for the worse on 11-13 January, with reports of unusual troop and naval deployments, crisis...
to instigate a mutiny
Fiji crisis of 2005-2006
The tension between Fiji's government and Military forces, which had been simmering for more than two years, appeared to escalate in late December 2005...
at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks on 12 January. PSC Chairman Stuart Huggett
Stuart Huggett
Stuart Huggett is a British-born Fijian architect, businessman, and civil servant, who served as Chairman of the Public Service Commission from 2004 to 2006, when he was removed from office on 6 December 2006 by the Military junta which had seized power the previous day.In addition, Huggett is a...
told the Sun that a letter from Korovavala denying the allegations had been received.
Anare Jale
Anare Jale
Anare Jale is a Fijian civil servant, who was the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Service Commission from May 2005 to 7 December 2006, when he was dismissed from office by the military junta which had seized power on 5 December...
, the Chief Executive Officer of the PSC, announced on 24 January 2006 that an independent team to investigate the allegations against Korovavala would be named by the end of the week.