>/* Written 12:07 am May 25, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
>Title: FIJI: FIJIANS HOLD POLLS UNDER DISPUTED CONSTITUTION
>sydney, may 22 (ips/kalinga seneviratne) -- some 173 candidates are
>contesting 70 parliamentary seats in fiji's twice-deferred general
>elections that the military government has scheduled for the week
>beginning saturday.
>the elections are being held under a controversial constitution
>imposed in 1990, replacing the one that was swept away in 1987 when
>the fijian-dominated army ousted a newly elected indian-dominated
>government.
>the party of the fijian chiefs, the soqosoqo ni vakavulewa ni
>taukei (svt), now led by coup leader maj. gen. sitiveni rambuka, is
>expected to win a majority of the seats in the house of
>representatives.
>this will be made possible by a gerrymander designed to give
>native fijians, who number just 49 percent of fiji's 740,000
>population, political dominance over non-fijians, particularly
>indians.
>in a constitution viewed as ''racist'' by the opposition,
>indigenous fijians are to occupy 37 seats in the house, indians 27,
>with six under a general voter list.
>to highlight the ''divisive, racist
>and undemocratic'' nature of the constitution
I find it odd that NativeNet, a network that usually supports native rights,
uses language that seems to oppose to those rights in Fiji. The introduction
of Indians into Fiji, JUST THIS CENTURY, by British imperialist has forced many
Fijians into second-class citizenship in their own country. The PEACEFUL
restoration of Fijians' right to govern their own country, for the first time
since the British invasion, is be applauded by tribal people everywhere.
Several years ago when I and my family visited Fiji we found virtually all
businesses and cities controlled by outsiders. Fijians were relegated to the
countryside, lived simply, and most worked in menial jobs. Yet, unlike the
newcomers, the Fijians shared everything with each other and even strangers.
As an American Indian, used to seeing a similar pattern of towns vs.
reservations, I emphathized with them. Now, after the coup, maybe, they will
begin to have a a greater role in the professional, governmental, educational,
commercial life of their own country.
>moreover, under the constitution, only a fijian can be appointed
>prime minister or president.
Horray! Why on earth shouldn't a native person be the prime minister or
president? I hope this thinking spreads elsewhere.
[ NativeNet as an entity does not have an editorial position one way or
the other on any particular subject, though the participants each have
their own opinions, which they are free to defend. The article which
I relayed a couple of months ago, which Jim includes here was obtained
via IGC (Institute for Global Communications) from the Inter Press
Service, and was just conveyed without change in its entirety. Such
transmittal does not constitute endorsement of any particular point of
view maintained by the author or publisher of the article.
I do not know enough about the political situation in Fiji to be able
to say who the players are or what their agendas might be. However,
the quote that Jim includes at the end of his article reads in full in
the original article:
...but maharaj, who was minister of trade, industry and tourism
in the bavadra government, told the 'fiji times' the winning flp
mp's would not take their seats in parliament.
the flp, which initially decided to boycott the polls, is only
participating in the elections to highlight the ''divisive,
racist and undemocratic'' nature of the constitution, maharaj
said.
''empty seats in parliament will help us to focus international
attention on the fijian constitutional crisis,'' he said.
To me, it appears the FLP is just using slogans to attempt to discredit
it's opposition, standard tactics in these matters, as we all know.
NativeNet has taken no position on the matter, and the article itself
seems fairly unbiased, merely reporting what a representative of a
particular party said.
Unless I've missed something, I'm afraid I really don't see the issue
here. --Gary ]