Even more bizarre are the results of the election: General Rabuka is
now prime minister, with a parliamentary coalition that depends on the
support of the Labour Party -- the very people he overthrew when they
were elected in 1987!! Part of the reason they joined his coalition is
that he agreed to revisit the racist parts of the constitution.
FYI, Since independence (1970) every Prime Minister of Fiji has been
an indigenous Fijian -- including Timoci Bavadra who headed the short-
lived Labour government which was overthrown by a military coup pretending
to advocate indigenous rights.
And the Indian Fijians mostly were brought in the last century, the
first boatload arriving in 1879. They are more analogous to African
slaves in this country than to British settlers -- victims rather than
perpetrators of colonialism. Ethnic Fijians have always controlled the
vast majority of the land -- guaranteed under both constitutions -- and
this control was never threatened. As to who lives in the cities, that
is more likely by choice than by decree.
As I said, it's very complicated. There's more coverage in the reg.pacific
conference on APC networks, and I can cross-post some articles if people
here are interested.
-- Charlie Scheiner