Political upheaval could push Fiji toward a snap election, warns Political Sociologist Professor Steven Ratuva.

He claims that the perceived instability across the Coalition Government could push the country towards an early national vote.

Professor Ratuva claimed that former FijiFirst Party members joining Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has strengthened the PM’s numbers, making the two Coalition partners National Federation Party and Social Democratic Liberal Party vulnerable.

He claimed Rabuka was now in a position to push ahead solely with the People’s Alliance Party and believes this is the direction the political landscape is heading towards.

“But the politics behind what we see in relation to what appears to be official relationships, the Prime Minister and the two deputies, is much more complex. Much more complex because of the way in which some of those power play between individuals and political parties also play out. So a lot of those things are happening behind the scenes.”

Political maneuvering, Prof Ratuva said was happening both publicly and behind the scenes with personal rivalries and power struggles shaping key decisions.

Prof Ratuva claimed that due to the ongoing issues, public trust could be weakening, threatening long-term stability.

He also pointed out that the loss of two Deputy Prime Ministers, Professor Biman Prasad and Manoa Kamikamica, and the likelihood of more dismissals show how fragile the Coalition Government has become.

He claims the growing uncertainty could lead to some considering a snap election as a way to reset the system.

“And they’re connected. So one of the reasons why we have this demarcation between the judiciary, the executive, the Parliament, and so forth, is precisely to make sure that if something happens in one sector, it does not impact on the other. In this particular case, what’s happening within the judiciary has implications on what’s happening in the political sphere.So they’re interconnected and this big worry is the first time it’s happened in Fiji.”

However, Professor Ratuva said an early election may not fix the problem if the same political players return.

He said voters would need to make strategic choices that place the country’s future ahead of ethnic, provincial or group interests.

He claims that the instability has filtered into public thinking with people increasingly interpreting events through political and ethnic lenses.

Prof Ratuva claims the current situation is creating anxiety which was not ideal at a time when people were looking to leaders for certainty and direction.

Meanwhile, FBC News has also reached out to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka via email for comment and we are awaiting his response.

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