Politics In Fiji Research Articles

A Political History of the Subject: Brij V. Lal on Leadership

ABSTRACT Brij V. Lal was the most prolific writer on post-colonial politics in Fiji. Many of these writings concerned political leaders and the nature of political leadership. Biographies of A.D. Patel and Jai Ram Reddy stand out, but Lal's other writings on politics nevertheless foregrounded people, and the way their personalities shaped, and were shaped by, the times in which they lived. In this article I consider how this biographer’s sensibility implicitly invokes a theory of political leadership and re-read Lal’s contribution to the study of politics in Fiji from this standpoint. I argue that his ‘political history of the subject’ offers both a justification for, and approach to, studying leadership in a person-centred way.

India’s Part in the Politics of Fiji’s Decolonization: From ‘Outworn Slogans’ to ‘Pragmatism and Realism’

ABSTRACTUnited Nations (UN) demands for the unconditional ending of colonial rule troubled British officials confronted by local political difficulties impeding their efforts to establish self-government for Fiji, alarmed Indigenous Fijian leaders who initially resisted that reform, and encouraged the polarizing demand by Indo-Fijian leaders for a common franchise. India was initially at the forefront in maintaining UN pressure on Britain to move Fiji rapidly to independence with this franchise. Yet in the last two years of British rule, as ethnic tension in Fiji rose dangerously, India assumed the lead in urging moderation at the UN. India’s volte-face from antagonist to ally of the British helped open the way to the political accord on which Fiji’s independence constitution was based. The article highlights the major part played by the pre-eminent Indigenous leader Ratu Kamisese Mara in winning India’s support for a cautious approach to reform.

Reform despite politics? The political economy of power sector reform in Fiji, 1996–2013

Attempts to reform the electricity sector in developing countries have achieved mixed results, despite the implementation of similar reforms in many developed countries, and concerted effort by donors to transfer reform models. In many cases, political obstacles have prevented full and effective implementation of donor-promoted reforms. This paper examines the political economy of power sector reform in Fiji from 1996 to 2013. Reform has been pursued with political motives in a context of clientelism. Policy inconsistency and reversal is explained by the political instability of ethnic-based politics in Fiji. Modest success has been achieved in recent years despite these challenges, with Fiji now considered a model of power sector reform for other Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific. The experience demonstrates that reform is possible within difficult political environments, but it is challenging, takes time and is not guaranteed. The way in which political motives have driven and shaped reform efforts also highlights the need for studies of power sector reform to direct greater attention toward political drivers behind reform.

Political orientation and the resonance of ethnic mobilization: Understanding the prospects for reducing ethnic politics in Fiji

How do attempts to politically mobilize support on the basis of ethnicity resonate with the people targeted? This paper develops theory about the affinities between institutionalized political orientations—how individuals understand their place in political processes and how they make decisions about political issues—and the ways that ethnic appeals may make sense to people. By focusing on institutionalized orientations as a form of consciousness, this theory enables analysis of how orientations of different segments of a polity facilitate the resonance of ethnic appeals and relate to one another, which holds implications for attempts to counter ethnic mobilization. The paper applies this theory to Fiji, a country that has experienced divisive ethnic politics and attempts to forge alternate models of national unity. Based on in-depth interviews with a sample of citizens from across Fiji, I conclude that distinct political orientations characterize different parts of the population and find within-orientation differences between those who understand political developments in more ethnic terms and those who do not. Using this evidence, I draw implications about the types of changes that might transform the resonance of ethnic mobilization in Fiji.

Compelling replication: Genesis 1:26, John 3:16, and biblical politics in Fiji

During fieldwork, I heard indigenous Fijians in Kadavu Island refer to Genesis 1:26 more often than to any other Bible verse, and in multiple contexts. It resonated with popular discourse about decline and loss and was used to motivate attempts at personal and collective transformation. Comparison with John 3:16, which circulates well in American evangelical contexts but is not as prominent in Fijian discourse, reveals how the circulation of both verses depends on the perception of gaps that motivate a shift from dissemination to replication. In the case of Fijian use of Genesis 1:26, a double movement of replication occurs: the printed text has been reshaped into a poetically paraphrased form which has become a new standard, and use of the verse is meant to compel actions that draw the Fijian vanua (land, people, chiefdoms, and tradition) into closer alignment with divine plans. Resume Au cours de mon travail de terrain, j’ai entendu les Fidjiens autochtones de l’ile de Kadavu faire reference au verset 1:26 de la Genese plus qu’a aucun autre passage de la Bible et ce, dans des contextes tres divers. Ce verset, en resonance avec le discours populaire sur le declin et la perte, etait utilise pour motiver les tentatives de transformation personnelle et collective. La comparaison avec Jean 3:16, tres diffuse dans les zones d’influence des Evangeliques americains mais moins saillant dans le discours des Fidjiens, revele la facon dont la circulation de ces deux versets depend de la perception des lacunes motivant le passage de la dissemination a la reproduction. Dans l’utilisation de Genese 1:26 par les Fidjiens, on assiste a un double mouvement de reproduction : le texte ecrit a ete remanie sous une forme paraphrasee poetique qui est devenue la nouvelle version canonique, et son utilisation vise a pousser a des actions destinees a rapprocher le vanua (la terre, le peuple, les chefs et la tradition) des Fidjiens des plans divins.

Institutional Transformation of Traditional Hegemonic Order: ‘Chiefdom Democracy’ and Ethnic Politics in Fiji

Institutional Transformation of Traditional Hegemonic Order: ‘Chiefdom Democracy’ and Ethnic Politics in Fiji

A tale of three constitutions: Ethnicity and politics in Fiji

There have been sharp divisions of opinion throughout Fiji's modern history between those advocating an integrated, nonracial state, based on individual rights, and those in favor of a political order based on ethnic communities. Integration and consociation, perhaps, are not apt terms to categorize this division, but, certainly, they have some resonance. Many features associated with consociation have been present in the colonial and the postcolonial constitutions, such as separate communal representation, group rights, asymmetrical autonomy, power sharing, separate educational systems, and entrenchment of rights to culture and land. Norms regarding indigenous peoples’ rights have been invoked, as well, adding an extra twist to the integration-consociation polarity. But there have also been strong tendencies toward political integration and broad-based, nonethnic social justice policies. Fiji's experience shows that this polarity has limited intellectual or policy value. Consociation easily and, in Fiji's case, seamlessly slides into hegemony.

Ethnicity, religion, and the issue of aboriginality in a small Island State: Why does Fiji Flounder?

This article analyses the complex interplay of 'traditional' native and 'modern' liberal secular politics in Fiji. It underscores the strong ideological rôle of the Methodist Church in shaping an ethnic Fijian national consciousness and in influencing the state's politics and governing institutions. It describes the religious underpinnings of the taukai movement, which espouses indigenous Fijian paramountcy and which played a significant rôle in the events culminating in the coup of 2000 and in the formation of a new political party, the Conservative Alliance, which fared relatively well in the 2001 general election. The article also examines the increasingly problematic position of the country's armed forces, almost entirely ethnic Fijian in composition, as Fiji continues to grapple with deep-seated ethnic divisions between its aboriginal and Indian-origin population, and it concludes by questioning whether, given its current political fragmentation and the politicization of its military, Fiji will remain a territorially unified state.

Community, Empire and Migration: South Asians in Diaspora

List of Tables and Figures List of Maps Preface Notes on the Contributors Introduction: Community and Identity Among South Asians in Diaspora C.Bates 'They Cannot Represent Themselves': Threats to Difference and So-Called Community Politics in Fiji from 1936-47 J.D.Kelly Nested Identities: Ethnicity, Community and the Nature of Group Conflict in Mauritius A.Nave The Development of Communalism among East African Asians M.Twaddle Imagining? Ethnic Identity and Indians in South Africa R.K.Thiara Migration, Migrant Communities and Otherness in Twentieth Century Sinhala Nationalism in Sri Lanka (up to Independence) N.Wickramasinghe Sojourners and Settlers: South Indians and Communal Identity in Malaysia A.Kaur Communitarian Identities and the Private Sphere: A Gender Dialogue amongst Indo-Trinidadians (1845-1917) S.Chatterjee Hyderabadis in Pakistan: Changing Nations K.Leonard Mohajirs in Pakistan: A Case of Nativisation of Migrants M.Waseem Bridging the Gulf: Migration, Modernity and Identity among Muslims in Mumbai T.B.Hansen Relationships between Muslims and Hindus in the United States: Mlecchas vs Kafirs? A.T.Mohammad Index

Land and Politics in Fiji: Of Failed Land Reforms and Coups

(2001). Land and Politics in Fiji: Of Failed Land Reforms and Coups. The Journal of Pacific History: Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 299-315.

Fiji before the Storm: Elections and the Politics of Development

A racially-weighted Constitution, promulgated by decree in 1990, divided the country and invited international condemnation, and the economy suffered from the collapse of institutions of good governance. In 1995, an independent Constitution Review Commision appointed by the Fijian parliament, recommended wide-ranging changes to the Constitution. Its report formed the basis of a new Constitution promulgated, after wide-ranging consultation and debate, in 1997. Two years later, Fiji held a general election under it. This collection of essays looks at the politics and dynamics of that momentous event, and the role of key individuals and institutions in producing an outcome that, a year later, plunged Fiji into its first major crisis of the twenty-first century. The essays look at some of the key political and development issues on the eve of the crisis, but the relevance to the current debates about the nature and meaning of politics in Fiji remains. All the contributors are recognised and longstanding specialists in their fields.

Book Reviews : Brij V Lal, A Vision For Change: A.D. Patel and the Politics of Fiji (Canberra: National Centre for Development Studies. The Australian National University, 1997), xvii, 282 pp. Paperback

Book Reviews : Brij V Lal, A Vision For Change: A.D. Patel and the Politics of Fiji (Canberra: National Centre for Development Studies. The Australian National University, 1997), xvii, 282 pp. Paperback

Race and Politics in Fiji: 2nd Edition.

Race and Politics in Fiji: 2nd Edition.

The Myth of Cultural Homogeneity and Its Implications for Chiefly Power and Politics in Fiji

Since Fiji's independence in 1970, a chiefly establishment drawn largely from the eastern regions of the island group has dominated the government there and, through the Alliance Party, has managed, in one way or another, to retain power in successive electoral contests until its outright defeat in the general elections of April 1987. The new government comprised a coalition of the National Federation Party (NFP), supported largely by the Fiji Indian community, and the Fiji Labour Party, which was essentially multiracial. Before the elections, Dr. Timoci Bavadra, the Labour leader, had been chosen to head the coalition. An indigenous Fijian “commoner” from the western region of Fiji, Bavadra's victory in April 1987 represented a break in a long history of eastern chiefly political predominance established and consolidated under colonial rule, and carried forward into the modern context of post-independence politics.

Nationalism, Racism and the State: Class Rule and the Paradox of Race Relations in Fiji

Pacific ViewpointVolume 31, Issue 2 p. 60-72 ArticleFree Access Nationalism, Racism and the State: Class Rule and the Paradox of Race Relations in Fiji William Sutherland, William SutherlandSearch for more papers by this author William Sutherland, William SutherlandSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 October 1990 https://doi.org/10.1111/apv.312004Citations: 2AboutSectionsPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat References 1Ali, A. 1977. The Fiji general election of 1977 Journal of Pacific History 12(4): 189- 201 2Durutalo, S. 1986. The Paramountcy of Fijian Interest and the Politicization of Ethnicity. South Pacific Forum Working Paper No. 6 Suva: USP Sociological Society 3Lai, B. 1986. Politics since independence: continuity and change 1970-1982. In B. Lai (ed.) Politics in Fiji: Studies in Contemporary History Sydney: Allen & Unwin 4———, 1989. Rabuka’s Fiji: one year later Current Affairs Bulletin 65(8): 4- 14 5Murray, D. 1978. The governor-general in Fiji’s constitutional crisis Politics 13(2): 230- 38 6Robertson, R.T. and A. Tamanisau. 1988. Fiji: Shattered Coups Sydney: Pluto Press 7Sutherland, W. 1989a. Law and force in Fiji — does Western law make sense in a Pacific environment? Social Alternatives 8(2): 31- 33 8———, 1989b. The new political economy of Fiji Pacific Viewpoint 30(2): 132- 141 9———, in press. Beyond the Politics of Race: Chiefs, Classes and Coups in Fiji London: Zed Books 10Taylor, M. 1987. Business organisations, the formal sector and development. In Michael Taylor (ed.) Fiji: Future Imperfect? Sydney: Allen & Unwin Citing Literature Volume31, Issue2October 1990Pages 60-72 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Fiji's communal electoral system: A study of some aspects of the failure of democratic politics in Fiji

Abstract The unique communal system which operated in Fiji from independence in 1970 until the coup of 1987 was ostensibly designed to ensure the equitable distribution of seats in the Fiji House of Representatives among the major racial groupings as a means of promoting political stability. The way in which the system was constructed, however, gave rise to gross imbalances in the ‘racial’ composition of both government and opposition parties. The aim of this article is to explore this and other problems associated with the system and to suggest that far from providing the political stability intended by the architects of the 1970 Constitution, the communal electoral system contributed substantially to the failure of democratic politics in Fiji.

Politics in Fiji: Studies in Contemporary History.

Politics in Fiji: Studies in Contemporary History.

Book reviews

Race and Politics in Fiji. By Robert Norton. St Lucia, University of Queensland Press, 1977. xv, 210 pp, index, app., illus., tables. $A17.95. Germany in the Pacific and Far East, 1870–1914. Edited by John A. Moses and Paul M. Kennedy. Brisbane, University of Queensland Press, 1977. XX, 417 pp. $A25.00.

Book Review: Race and Politics in Fiji. Robcrt Norton. Brisbanc: University of Queensland Press, 1977, pp. xv; 210, $17.95.

"Book Review: Race and Politics in Fiji. Robcrt Norton. Brisbanc: University of Queensland Press, 1977, pp. xv; 210, $17.95.." Political Science, 30(2), pp. 123–124

Book Reviews

Book Reviews