Fiji begins search for new president

Updated July 29, 2009 08:37:05

A prominent Fijian political figure and trade unionist predicts coup leader Frank Bainimarama will be "groping" to find a new president from the "chiefly" community that will have the respect of the people. The Commodore's announcement that Fiji's President , 88-year old Ratu Josefa Iloilo was to retire, came with the news that Vice President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau is to act in the position until cabinet comes up with a replacement.


Presenter:Michael Cavanagh
Speaker: Pramod Rae, general secretary of the National Federation Party and general secretary of the Fiji Bank and Finance Sector Employees Union

PRAMOD RAE: It's unlikely that there will be any major impact because the regime as we know doesn't have popular support of the people and more importantly, it doesn't have any significant support from the indigenous community, from the chiefly community. So it's going to be groping I think looking for a replacement from the chiefly hierarchy. It does of course present the possibility to Mr Bainimarama and his regime to use the vacancy to entice some prominent chiefly figures to the position and therefore towards himself. Now that is a possibility, an immense political possibility in that.

CAVANAGH: In the interim, the vice president will be acting in the position till there is a name put up to Cabinet. How important would it be for the present regime to attract someone who has very long traditional ties with the Fijian community, but probably unlike the outgoing president doesn't have those links with the old regime?

PRAMOD RAE: The announcement that Ratu Epeli Nailatikau is going to act in the position as president is in itself intriguing, because not so long ago the regime actually created a decree outlining the succession plan into the position of president and vice president and it seems they are deviating from that position by saying that the vice president will now only act as a president until they can find a substantive president.

CAVANAGH: Does he really need a president that's accepted by the community?

PRAMOD RAE: This time he needs for his own acceptance among the community, he needs to do that, because recently he has aggravated a very large section of the indigenous community by the systematic persecution and assault of the leaders, the leadership of the Methodist Church and the large majority of indigenous Fijians belong to the Methodist Church. So that and of course the attacks on a number of prominent chiefs in terms of one of the three major chiefs, Roko Tui Dreketi, of course was hauled into court. With these kind of things happening, I think he needs to do something to demonstrate a kind of closeness to the indigenous Fijian community so he may well be looking for some personality which would act damage control for the aggravation of the indigenous community that he has undertaken recently.,

CAVANAGH: Why would it be handy for the Commodore to install himself as president?

PRAMOD RAE: That would be a brilliant opportunity for him to then retain control of both the military and the civilian government. There has been some questions raised at various times about him holding the two positions as military commander as well as the civilian prime minister. This, of course, would give him the opportunity if he installed himself as president to retain control of both the military and the government and of course secure himself in a very safe position, even if there is a change in government, is a return to democracy and by some possibility there are investigations and possible. He would be able to install himself in a safe position to avoid that sort of possibility. So these are all possibilities that do now come to mind as this sudden announcement has come.