Entering the ……. zone

Every now and then, the mysterious world of iTaukei politics pops its head above the surface, catching the uninitiated by surprise. It seldom is what it first seems to be.

The recent sudden announcement by the Prime Minister that there was a move by some in the People’s Alliance to break away and form a new party caught most by surprise as it appeared like Fiji politics was FINALLY entering a stable phase.

BUT the golden rule in iTaukei politics, is NEVER rest easy because there is always someone plotting to secure some kind of benefit. To understand this world, remember that it is built on a foundation that has never been secure. Pre-cession Fiji was a swirling mixture of at least 200 different “kingdoms” with constant changing of allegiances and in many respects, this opportunist political culture remains to this day.

This particular story started at the People’s Alliance convention held about a month ago in the West. Two big stories came out of this, the first was that the PM wasn’t happy with the way the party was being run leading to the resignation of the General Secretary. The second was a concern expressed about the potential reappointment of the President at the end of his first term in office.

The Presidency can be held for a maximum two terms of three years by a single person. Ratu Wiliame Katonivere’s first term in office is about to expire and the Prime Minister had previously made it clear that he believed Ratu Wiliame should be allowed to serve for another term. This didn’t go down well with sections of his party who have not forgotten that he was a FijiFirst appointee and had previously been President of the party.

That said, despite facing extreme pressure, he upheld the constitution and rule of law when it most counted ushering in the new Government AND since then has proved a popular head of state. He is an interesting man having been a soldier, farmer, businessman and civil servant but most importantly coming from Macuata he is able to communicate and relate to all our different communities.

The Prime Minister felt considering all this it was only fair that he be allowed to continue, and we understand Ratu Wiliame was keen to serve another term At the convention it was suggested that the Tui Nadi be considered for the role but, as we have said, this was brushed aside by the Prime Minister, but the issue didn’t go away. In the lead up to the PM bringing his nomination to Parliament we saw the Speaker Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu suggest that the nomination be withdrawn due to a FICAC complaint against the President.

This is where it gets tricky for the PM. Technically this is no business of the Speaker, but Ratu Naiqama is the Tui Cakau and the Prime Minister’s paramount chief, so it was no surprise he backed down, withdrawing the nomination.

Subsequently FICAC announced they were not continuing the investigations, and it appeared all would be well for Ratu Wiliame BUT clearly the Speaker had set his eye on the top job and YB suspects that the PM may have decided that all things considered, promoting him might be the better option going forward.

As Speaker, Ratu Naiqama has proved a bit of a handful for the Government. The Speaker is supposed to be a neutral voice in Parliament, but he has, on several occasions, insisted on expressing his sometimes-alarming opinions into the debate.

The most extraordinary was the attack on the Melanesian community following a speech by opposition member Aliki Bia. As a strong advocate for reconciliation this must have been difficult for the Prime Minister and as we have already explained placed him in a difficult place traditionally and politically.

It does raise questions about the qualities and qualifications required for the position of Head of State of a multiethnic and multi religious country. Since independence we have only had one President who hasn’t been a high chief, they have all been men, and except for Brigadier General Jioji Konrote they have all come from one ethnic community. The added concern with Ratu Naiqama is that he has long held strong ethno-nationalist views as reflected in his support of George Speight’s CAMV party and in his recent comments in parliament.

We return to the PM’s comments regarding alleged moves by some People’s Alliance members to form a new political party. The response was a flurry of statements from various members of the People’s Alliance swearing allegiance to the Prime Minister. While it did throw the Government into a bit of a spin and may have alarmed some, it was in fact quite a clever move.

Based on the rumblings coming from the Annual General Meeting, he clearly felt that it was time to flush out the dissenters or at least force them back into line. From YB’s survey within People’s Alliance ranks, the potential threat didn’t come from the parliamentary wing but from some of the back-room influencers who see themselves as pulling the strings of the party leadership. This was a reminder to them that the Prime Minister isn’t going anywhere AND that he fully intends to lead the party into the next elections.

As we say farewell to Ratu Wiliame, YB hopes due credit is given for the courage he showed during that critical period in late 2022 and early 2023 standing by the constitution and the rule of law. It must have been tempting to succumb to the voices demanding that he bend the rules, but he stood firm, and for that we should all be eternally grateful.