Week 9 Tutorial
Q1: Explain the manifestos of political parties contented the 1977 elections?
Alliance
Assistance of those who live in rural areas and outer islands, greater food production, introduction of free education, the agricultural Landlords and Tenants Act (1976), Land Convention and the Law of the Sea Conference.
National Federation Party
Denounced the tax structure bounded with free education, free medical services and reduced rents for their leases.
Fiji Nationalist Party
• The interests of the Fijians will be paramount at all times.
• The Fijians must always hold the positions of Governor-General, Prime Minister, and Minister for Fijian Affairs and Rural Development, Minister for Lands, Minister for Education, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Commerce Industry and Co-operatives.
• More opportunities should be given for Fijians to enter business and commerce.
• Total opposition to common roll.
• Strengthen Fijian Administration and the Government should give it financial backing and support.
• Establishment of a Fijian Institute to teach Fijians in business.
• Pensions for ex-servicemen. Indians should be repatriated to India after Fiji gained full independence.
• More Government development projects should be concentrated in rural areas.
• Expansion of the Royal Fiji Military Forces' trade section to help ease unemployment.
• The return to Fijians of all land that was illegally sold.
Why 1977 election became important in context of a constitutional crisis?
Due to the different races and different parties that participated.
NFP won the elections and still not formed the government. Why?
Inner disagreement, notwithstanding, kept the gathering from shaping an administration, as the gathering cracked over questions about the authority and the portion of clerical positions. The Governor-General, Ratu Sir George Cakobau, reappointed the crushed Prime Minister, Ratu Mara, and requested another political decision for September that year, wherein the NFP was vigorously vanquished.
Q2. Which all political parties contested 1982 election and what were their manifestos?
Alliance
Assistance of those who live in rural areas and outer islands, greater food production, introduction of free education, the agricultural Landlords and Tenants Act (1976), Land Convention and the Law of the Sea Conference.
National Federation Party
Denounced the tax structure bounded with free education, free medical services and reduced rents for their leases.
Western United Front
• Protect and encourage the unity of western Fijians
• Protect the interests of landowners and to defend their rights to develop their resources according to their aspirations.
• Seek changes in the Ministry of Fijian Affairs and Rural Development to improve the lives of western Fijians.
• Improve educational facilities of western Fijians and provide them opportunities in commercial and industrial enterprises.
What were the reasons of Alliance victory over NFP-WUP Coalition?
While the NFP and the WUF grappled with the problem of forging a mutually acceptable political arrangement, the Alliance was in the final stages of planning its campaign strategies. The Alliance, in comparison with its rivals, has always been a better prepared certainly more disciplined party. Unlike the Alliance, the Coalition did not have periodic collective briefing of candidates, which explains the occasional discordant notes coming from its ranks.
Week 10 Tutorial
Q 1. What were the reasons for the two Fiji's coups in 1987? The first coup in 1987 was executed to stifle collaboration between Indo-Fijians and indigenous Fijians for a non-racial political discourse.
The 1987coup were executed ostensibly to ensure Fijian paramountcy and the protection of Fijian interests.
What role political parties played during the Coup?
NFP–Labour Coalition was the coalition of the National Federation Party and Fiji Labour Party under the leadership of Timoci Bavadra, formed in 1987 to contest that year's general election. The coalition won the election with 28 seats in the House of Representatives to the Alliance Party's 24 seats.
A constitutional crisis developed when, three days after the election, the NFP splintered in a leadership brawl, and the Governor General of Fiji, Ratu Sir George Cakobau, asked the Mara government to remain in power in a caretaker capacity.
Q 2. Explain the Role of Great Council of Chiefs during the Coups?
Following the 1987 military coup conducted by Sitiveni Rabuka, the Council reverted to being an exclusively aristocratic body, its membership reserved to high chiefs. Rabuka argued that hereditary chiefs should retain paramount decision-making power.
The GCC have grappled with the dangerous force of Fijian nationalist sentiment, at times endorsing it and at times restraining it in the process of setting up new regimes