Fiji Military Takes Control of Government in Bloodless Coup; PM Calls on Citizens to Fight for Democracy
December 5, 2006

The Washington Post reports that Commodore Frank Bainimarama has executed a bloodless coup in Fiji, dissolving the Parliament and installing military control of the government.  The coup, Fiji’s fourth in the past two decades, overthrew the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase following weeks of tension over Qarase’s decision to give “amnesty to those deposable for a 2000 coup that Bainimarama helped quell” according to the Washington Times.  Commodore Bainimarama “said he was acting with ‘great reluctance,’” and that his actions were to clean up corruption in the government according to The Daily Telegraph. 

The Australian and the Daily Telegraph report that the Fijian military has seized the weapons of the police force and surrounded the home of Prime Minister Qarase.  The military also secured the “three media outlets in Suva,” and refused to allow any broadcasting of pictures of Prime Minister Qarase.  The prime minister has called on Fijians to “stand up and fight for democracy,” but do so by “peaceful means.” 

Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain were quick to condemn the coup, with all three countries cutting off aid to Fiji according to Reuters and the Washington Post.  The Fijian government had requested military intervention from Australia but was denied by Australian Prime Minister John Howard. 

The Daily Telegraph says that Bainimarama has “promised the military takeover was temporary and that full national elections would be held once the country was stable again…”  The same report also says that the Commodore offered no date or timetable for the elections to take place. 

Prior to the coup Fiji was listed as “Partly Free” with a ratings of “4” and “3” in political rights and civil liberties respectively in Freedom House’s annual publication Freedom in the World, 2006 edition.  The publication said that “Fiji continued to live in the shadow of the May 2000 coup,” as reasoning for its “partly free” classification. 

Sources:

Daily Telegraph (Australia): Fight for democracy, says Qarase
Freedom House: Freedom in the World 2006, Fiji
Reuters: Britain condemns Fiji coup
The Australian: Fiji military secures downtown Suva
Washington Post: Fiji's Military Takes Control of Nation
Washington Times: Military takes over Fiji's government