At 10am, May 14th, 1987, the first coup was staged in Fiji led by the third ranked military officer in the Fiji military forces.
This changed Fiji forever and as we mark exactly 26 years of that event today, the current government is now in the final stages of putting together a constitution that it feels may satisfy the majority of the people and also end the coup culture.
People are now waiting for Fiji’s next constitution following the public consultations around the country.
Today we look back on that day and speak to the some of the main people involved during that time.
Doctor Tupeni Baba who was part of the then Doctor Timoci Bavadra led government said it is unfortunate that the 1987 coup occurred as it also started off the culture of coups.
The leader of the two coups in 1987, Sitiveni Rabuka whose immunity provisions for those acts have also been included in the new draft constitution said in an earlier interview with Legend FM News that he has come to realize that he cannot justify what happened on May 14th, 1987.
He had also made claims in his book, Rabuka Of Fiji that he was allegedly influenced by former politicians.
He was taken to court for this.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister in the late Doctor Timoci Bavadra led government, Harish Sharma recalls what happened on the morning of May 14th, 1987.
Sharma said they could not do anything to come back into power.
He also said there was no outside assistance to bring back the democratically elected government.
Harish Sharma also told us in the earlier interview that politicians have to move away from racial politics.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
