http://smh.com.au/news/0109/06/world/world1.html

fiji times still has chaudrey sacked,here...

 http://www.fijitimes.com.au/

Am working on a speight expose so stay tuned...tentative title is 'Big trouble in little India.'

EDITORIAL OPINION



Extremist politics polarises Fijians

Friday 7 September 2001



The recent history of Fiji has been turbulent, to say the least, marked by three coups since 1987 and a deepening of the race-based divide that inspired them. This week's election was supposed to mark a peaceful return to elected government, which it was hoped would let Fiji put the past behind it. But as novelist William Faulkner once observed, the past is not dead, it is not even past. That is particularly true of Fiji today. After all the damage that has been done, the nation is back where it began, confronting the old challenge of finding a democratic and constitutional answer to its racial divide, yet further burdened by the layers of enmity that each coup has added. Not only was the vote split once again between parties representing indigenous Fijians and Indian Fijians, but the outcome reflected an even more deeply polarised electorate. Moderates who sought to bridge the divide were scorned.

Instead, the balance of power is likely to lie with the party of George Speight, who led the coup that overthrew Fiji's first prime minister of Indian origin, Mahendra Chaudhry, in May, 2000. From the prison cell where he is awaiting trial with 12 others on treason charges, Mr Speight won a seat under the constitution he had sought to overthrow. His group may yet win pardons in exchange for supporting Laisenia Qarase, who was appointed caretaker prime minister by the military after last year's coup, or, even more bizarrely, by supporting Mr Chaudhry's Labor Party, which has again made a strong showing at the polls. Incredibly, the latter prospect, coupled with the inflammatory issue of pardons, appears more likely than any conciliatory move by Mr Qarase towards working with Mr Chaudhry, who yesterday raised claims of vote-rigging. Mr Qarase has already ruled out such a coalition. Having campaigned for constitutional guarantees of indigenous political supremacy, he chose to warn that the present electoral system could lead to another coup.

Fiji's revised 1997 constitution requires the formation of a multi-party cabinet, representing the whole parliament as far as possible. Yet, on the evidence of this week, neither the parties nor their supporters are prepared to govern in that spirit. Australian Prime Minister John Howard has conceded that Mr Chaudhry is unlikely to win back power, but said he was "glad in the name of democracy" that the deposed prime minister had done well. Australia can go further, by reminding Fiji of the cost of abandoning democracy again. The danger is understood by Fiji's security forces, which instituted extra security to protect the incoming government and warned that it should serve its full five years. The reasoning of Senior Superintendent Romanu Tikotikoca was simple: "The events of last year ruined our nation and people." The message was clear; the tragedy is that even after peaceful elections Fijians can be no surer that it will be heeded.


Quote from story about election...

Asked about international concern about the prospect of the Speight group entering parliament and a new cabinet, Mr Qarase said that people "who took part in terrorism" were members of many governments around the world, including Northern Ireland, Israel and Palestine. "Why focus on Fiji?"

Speight is suspect in projected sale of million dollar mahogany forest concessions,torture and arson allegations...

"big trouble in little india"story is writing itself.