1987 Fijian coups d'état

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1987 Fijian coups d'état
Part of the Fijian coups
Date14 May 1987 (first coup)
23 September 1987 (second coup)
Location
Fiji
Result

First coup succeeds, second coup fails:

  • 14 May: Bavadra removed from power
  • 23 September: Fiji becomes a republic
Belligerents
Fijian Armed Forces
Government of Fiji
Commanders and leaders
Fiji Lt Col. Sitiveni Rabuka
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The Fijian coups d'état of 1987 resulted in the overthrow of the elected government of Fijian Prime Minister

Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka, then third in command of the Royal Fiji Military Forces
.

Background

Both before and after Fiji gained its independence from the

Sir Kamisese Mara with a multi-ethnic Labour-led coalition supported mostly by the Indo-Fijian plurality and Rabuka claimed ethnic Fijian concerns of racial discrimination as his excuse for seizing power. Many authorities doubt the veracity of this, however, given existing constitutional guarantees.[2]

Coups d'etat

May coup

On the morning of 14 May, around 10 am, a section of ten masked, armed soldiers entered the Fijian

Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka, dressed in civilian clothes, approached Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra
from his position in the public gallery and ordered the members of parliament to leave the building. They did so without resisting. The coup was an apparent success and had been accomplished without loss of life.

At around 11 am,

Radio Fiji announced the news of the military takeover. Rabuka was reported to have gone to Government House to see the Governor-General, Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau. He was seeking recognition of the military action and the overthrow of the Bavadra government. A caretaker government was to be named shortly, and the public was urged to "remain calm and continue with their daily work."[3] At the meeting, the Governor-General (who was Rabuka's paramount chief) gave a mild rebuke to Rabuka. He asked him "What have you done?" and "You mean I have no job?" He added that Rabuka should have given the deposed government more time. The meeting ended with Ratu Sir Penaia stating "Good luck, I hope you know what you are doing."[4]

Following the coup, the Governor-General commissioned a Constitution Review Committee, led by Sir John Falvey, to look at the "deficiencies" of Fiji's 1970 constitution.

The commission was to begin hearings on 6 July and deliver its recommendations to the Governor-General by 31 July. Its terms of reference were to "strengthen the representation of indigenous

Indo-Fijians, 8 General electors, 1 Rotuman, and up to four nominees of the Prime Minister. National constituencies, ethnically allocated and elected by universal suffrage, were to be abolished, and all voting was to be communal. The Prime Minister's post was to be reserved for an indigenous Fijian.[6][7]

The Governor-General dissolved Parliament and granted amnesty to Rabuka, while promoting him to the position of commander of the Royal Fiji Military Forces. The actions of the Governor-General were viewed with suspicion by the deposed government and Bavadra challenged Ratu Sir Penaia's decision in the Supreme Court of Fiji.[8]

September coup

From independence in 1970, Fiji's

head of state was the Queen of Fiji, Elizabeth II. The Fijian Supreme Court ruled the May coup to be totally unconstitutional, and the Governor-General attempted to assert executive reserve power. He opened negotiations known as the Deuba Talks with both the deposed government and the Alliance Party, which most indigenous Fijians supported. These negotiations culminated in the Deuba Accord of 23 September 1987, which provided for a government of national unity, in which both parties would be represented under the leadership of the Governor-General. Fearing that the gains of the first coup were about to be lost, Rabuka staged a second coup on 25 September.[9] Rabuka then declared Fiji a republic on 10 October 1987, abrogating the Constitution of Fiji and stating that he had removed the Governor-General from office,[9] and declaring himself Head of the Interim Military Government. Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau resigned as Governor-General on 15 October,[10] although he was made the first President of Fiji on 6 December 1987.[10]

International involvement

See also: Operation Morris Dance

Australia and New Zealand, the two nations with foremost political influence in the region, were somewhat disquieted by the event, but ultimately took no action to intervene. They did, however, establish a policy of non-recognition regarding the new government, suspending foreign aid in concert with the United States and the United Kingdom.

The Australian labour movement, taking the ousting of a labour led government as an affront to the worldwide labour movement, instituted an embargo against shipments to Fiji. As Australia was Fiji's largest foreign trading partner, this resulted in a large diminution in Fiji's international trade.

Aftermath

In the immediate aftermath of the second coup, the United Nations denounced the coup, demanding that the former government be restored. The Commonwealth responded with Fiji's immediate expulsion from the association.

Fiji's economy contracted by as much as 7.8% between 1987 and 1988,[11] due to a major downturn in tourism and sugar production.[12]

A new constitution was ratified in 1990, in which the offices of

republic in the Commonwealth of Nations
in late 1997.

The coups triggered much emigration by Indo-Fijians (particularly skilled workers),[13] making them a minority by 1994.

References

  1. ^ Knapman 1990, p. 60.
  2. ^ Knapman 1990, p. 75.
  3. ^ Lal 2010, p. 350.
  4. ^ Lal 2010, p. 369.
  5. ^ Lal 2010, p. 390.
  6. ISBN 9781601270559
    . Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  7. ^ "The 1990 Constitution" (PDF). Fiji Leaks. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  8. ^ Lal 2010, p. 407.
  9. ^ a b "Fiji coup leader declares republic". The New York Times. 7 October 1987. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Fiji Politics 1987 Coup - 14 May". Global Security. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  11. ^ Knapman 1990, p. 62.
  12. ^ Knapman 1990, p. 64.
  13. ^ Knapman 1990, p. 74.

Further reading

External links
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