Almost 23 years on, the leader of Fiji’s first coup Sitiveni Rabuka yesterday went to Viseisei village to visit the late Doctor Timoci Bavadra’s family and the Tui Vuda Ratu Josefa Iloilo.
The main reason for Rabuka’s visit was to admit to the Bavadra family and those connected to the family at the village that he had done wrong to the family during the 1987 coup.
Rabuka on May 14th 1987 removed the late Doctor Bavadra and his government from office.
Rabuka said he has decided to go in this direction after realizing that he had done wrong things from 1987.
He believed that justice finally kicked in for him when the soldiers came and took his government 4-wheel-drive vehicle and his Prime Minister’s pension was scrapped earlier this year.
Rabuka said he has already spoken to his senior officers whom he ousted in 1987.
He confirmed that he admitted to the current President and the Army Commander in 1987, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau that he had wronged him when he removed him from office.
The 1987 coup leader has done the same with the then RFMF Chief Of Staff Jim Sanday.
Rabuka said yesterday Ratu Josefa Iloilo and Ratu Tevita Momoedonu were present with the Bavadra family which was represented by the late Doctor Bavadra’s brother.
Rabuka said he is only on this journey to admit that he had wronged them and stressed that it is not about asking for forgiveness.
Rabuka said he had already apologized to the Indians in Fiji toward the end of his Prime Ministership and also confirmed he apologized to Her Majesty the Queen back in 1997.
He now plans to approach Ratu Epeli Ganilau and the military to do the same.
Meanwhile, the traditional Spokesperson for the Tui Vuda Ratu Tevita Momoedonu said yesterday’s visit by the former Prime Minister was a unique day for the people of Vuda.
Feature
I was wrong-Rabuka
