Sitiveni Rabuka

Yet more intriguing information is being revealed regarding the rocky relationship between Fiji’s late prime minister and president Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and the 1987 coup leader and now People’s Alliance Party leader Sitiveni Rabuka.

In another bombshell statement, Rabuka admits in a recent interview he conducted with a former Fijian reporter, that the late Tui Nayau asked him to get rid of the 1970 constitution days before Rabuka executed his 1987 coup that devastated Fiji and subsequently ushered in institutionalized racism throughout the country.

But just six years ago in an interview on FBC’s 4 the Record Program Rabuka flat out refused to say anything about Ratu Mara saying he did not implicate Ratu Mara because he was no longer around to defend himself.

Last week Rabuka refused to apologize to the family and traditional warrior clan of Ratu Mara for stating in the recent interview that Ratu Mara had prior knowledge and supported Rabuka’s coup.

In an interview shortly before he passed away in 2004 Ratu mara had, in turn, accused Rabuka of being one of the architects of the 2000 coup
Looking back at a volatile relationship of accusations and counter-accusations between the two men still leaves many unanswered questions about Fiji’s past and future.

It’s a national controversy that’s lasted more than three decades, Sitiveni Rabuka is now justifying once again why he thinks Ratu Mara supported him prior to the 1987coup.

This was his response when questioned by Sashi Singh on Sashi Singh’s Talking point last month.

“Ratu Mara had a brief discussion with you and said “the only way to change the situation is to throw the constitution out the window” to which you allegedly replied ‘I can do that, sir.’ Would that be a correct version of that initial discussion at the golf club? Yes.”

But just a mere six years ago, the same Rabuka when appointed as the new SODELPA leader, stubbornly refused to put any blame on Ratu Mara.

“I don’t wanna be saying anything about someone who is no longer here to defend himself.”

Although there were countless accusations and rumours about Ratu Mara’s involvement in the 1987 coup that tore up the fabric of Fijian society, the former president denied his involvement and instead accused Rabuka of being one of the architects of George Speights coup in 2000.

Rabuka in his recent interview with Sashi Singh claims he was trying to help when he approached the then president as soon as learnt about the May 19th 2000 coup.

“I called the government house after the Secretary General of Parliament called me to say that something has happened in Parliament and I offered by services to the President to be his negotiator with the coup people. I didn’t know who was involved at the time but that didn’t have any effect.”

But in an interview conducted by Fiji TV before his death, Ratu Mara pulled no punches leaving no doubt about what he thought of Rabuka and the former police commissioner, Isikia Savua’s involvement in the 2000 coup.

“I didn’t know what he was ready for. He said I am ready to help I suppose so I got him to come. Two mornings afterwards both Savua and I usually call him and Tuatoka. That Sunday morning Ratu Epeli Ganilau came to see me and I said you sit and hear what we discuss. As soon as he sat down I said, you two – I want you to know and I pointed Rabuka and Savua. You have a hand in this thing. You could see it in their face.”

Just a few days after the May 19th coup in 2000, Rabuka admitted that rebel crew military troops who were part of Speight’s takeover of Mahendra Chaudhry’s Labour party government conducted military exercises on his private Valavala estate in Vanualevu, but claims he didn’t know about this until a little later.

The truck drove past the airport while I was sitting there. Change in plan from Taveuni to Suva. They stopped and spoke to me and they said they are spending Good Friday with their old man in Nabalebale. Was this the whole unit? No there were some in camp. But they were training at Valavala, your own place – you would have known. I would have known what? That they were training there. Yeah, I would have known.”

“I said Bula to them at the airport when I was flying out. And that is when you saw them? Yeah I saw them. I didn’t know they were training on my land. How can somebody be training on your land, you were there and you have no idea? I had no idea, I was living in the village.”

“I didn’t know they had bundled there until after they had been and in fact after the attempted coup in parliament. The facts came out and then somebody said they were seen on your farm. Later I found out that they had gone through, they even went and have yaqona in my village.”

Rabuka was also taken to court for allegedly inciting Lieutenant Colonel Viliame Seruvakula to overthrow the then Military Commander Voreqe Bainimarama in July 2000 and for again persuading Seruvakula to join the November 2000 army mutiny which led to the deaths of eight soldiers.

Rabuka was acquitted by High Court judge Gerard Winter despite two assessors finding him guilty of both counts, one finding him innocent of both counts and two assessors finding him not guilty of the first count but guilty of the second count.

The current military commander Jone Kalouniwai who was a junior officer in 2000 recently admitted in the Fiji sun that prominent ex-Fiji military individuals were involved in the November 2000 mutiny which sought to execute him and other loyal officers.