Fiji
Fiji performs in the mid-range across all categories of the Global State of Democracy framework. It is amongst the top 25 per cent of the world’s countries with regard to Electoral Participation and Civil Society. Over the past five years, it has experienced significant advances in Participation, Rule of Law, Civil Society and eight other measures of democracy. Fiji is an upper-middle-income country and one of the most economically developed Pacific Island nations, with key economic sectors including international tourism, sugarcane cultivation, and garment manufacturing; its largest export is bottled water.
Fiji gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1970 and formally became a republic in 1987 following an indigenous-led military coup that overthrew a multi-ethnic coalition and removed Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. Subsequent developments reflected prominent ethnic divisions within the country, including between indigenous Fijians, known as the “i-Taukei" and Indo-Fijians. Most of the latter were brought to Fiji as indentured laborers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and comprised a majority of the population as recently as the 1980s. After independence, protests and nationalist rhetoric surrounded most elections, as partisan politics often fell along ethnic lines. Fiji’s political history has been dominated by four coups d’état, most recently in 2006, and military domination of the government. The Indigenous ethnonationalist-led coups in 1987 and 2000 triggered significant outmigration of Indo-Fijians, and i-Taukei now make up a slight majority. The current constitution, adopted in 2013, enshrines the military as the guarantors of democracy and well-being, which has perpetuated its centrality to Fijian politics and shields it from civilian oversight.
Fiji’s four coups have been fundamentally rooted in its ethnic divide. Land issues are a major component of this divide, as a dual tenure system has led to Indigenous Fijians owning 83 per cent of the country’s land. Although Fiji returned to holding free democratic elections eight years after the 2006 coup, press freedom is routinely challenged, corruption remains endemic, and the first peaceful transfer of power took place in December 2022. Watchdog groups say cruel and inhuman treatment by police and corrections officers is commonplace. Domestic violence against women and girls remains a serious issue, and Fijian women continue to earn significantly less than men. While discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is constitutionally banned, the LGBTQIA+ community continues to face hate speech from politicians and religious leaders, as well as broader challenges within society. Environmental issues also loom large on the political scene, as deforestation, overfishing, and climate change threaten the country’s future.
The peaceful transfer of power from Frank Bainimarama to Sitiveni Rabuka in 2022 has so far prompted a rollback of the former’s authoritarian tendencies, such as the repeal of the much-criticized 2010 restrictive media law, but also a shift in power back to traditional chiefs and more local control. Rabuka has also overseen the removal of Bainimarama’s network of allies in the executive branch, and Bainimarama himself was removed from parliament for misconduct and sentenced to one year in jail for interfering in an investigation while president. While no evidence exists to suggest that laws were broken in the process, the speed and thoroughness of the efforts to sideline Bainimarama raise questions about the future of Predictable Enforcement. Freedom of assembly is also regularly challenged, as march permits for protests are routinely denied. Ultimately, the country’s future depends in large part on the world’s response to climate change.
Last updated: June 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
September 2024
Corruption commission appointment sparks political scandal
Barbara Malimali was named the head of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) by the Constitutional Offices Commission on 4 September, despite being the subject of an ongoing FICAC investigation into abuse of office in her previous post as chairperson of the Electoral Commission. The ensuing controversy has reignited longstanding debates over the independence and credibility of FICAC. The FICAC Deputy Commissioner ordered Malimali be taken in for questioning on 5 September and then, after a public backlash from other high-ranking officials, resigned herself, citing pressure to not open investigations into Malimali and other high-ranking officials. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has said there is no reason for Malimali to resign unless she is formally charged by FICAC, while opposition politicians, such as former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, have insisted she must step aside to ensure a transparent and accountable inquiry.
Sources: Fiji Sun (1), Radio New Zealand (1), Radio New Zealand (2), Fiji Sun (2), Fiji Sun (3)
May 2024
Former President Bainimarama sentenced to one year in prison
Former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama was sentenced to one year in prison on 9 May for ‘perversion of justice.’ Fiji’s High Court overturned his final appeal and agreed with a lower court ruling that found Bainimarama told his police commissioner to ignore the allegations from university administrators that graft and mismanagement were commonplace at the University of South Pacific. The former police commissioner, Sitiveni Qiliho, was also sentenced to two years in prison. The sentence marks what could be the last stage of the current Fijian administration’s efforts to sideline Bainimarama, who originally took power in a military coup in 2006, and prevent him from maintaining extra-parliamentary influence since he left office after losing the 2022 general election.
Sources: Reuters, Australian Broadcasting Company
July 2023
Parliament weakens restrictions on registration
Fiji’s parliament passed a bill allowing voters to register using the name by which they are commonly known on 11 July, overriding a 2021 law that required voters to register using a name that matched their birth certificate. The previous law was criticized as discriminating against women who took their spouse’s surnames with marrying, as it required them to legally change their name on their birth certificate in order to register to vote.
May 2023
Great Council of Chiefs re-convened after 16 year suspension
The Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) re-convened for the first time after 16 years of suspension on Bau Island. Established by the British colonial rulers as an advisory body in 1876, it was suspended in 2007 by then-prime minister Frank Bainimarama, who accused it of interfering in politics and inciting racial tension – the body is only open to members of the hereditary iTaukei aristocracy and not Indo-Fijians or other minorities. Bainimarama suspended it by decree in 2012. The coalition government has says the reconvened GCC will be an advisory body to safeguard, collaborate and promote inclusivity across all Fijian ethnic groups.
Sources: Stuff, Radio New Zealand, ABC, Radio New Zealand
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