A historic transfer of power in the South Pacific
But will Fiji’s armed forces continue to mind their own business?
On christmas eve the small Pacific-island state of Fiji witnessed an opposition leader being sworn in as prime minister for only the third time in its history. The previous two such prime ministers were both ousted in coups, in 1987 and 2000. As Sitiveni Rabuka—a 74-year-old political veteran and himself a former coupster—took the oath of office, the country’s meddlesome armed forces nonetheless promised to abide by the election result and uphold the country’s constitution. But will they keep that vow?
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Cloud coup-coup land”
From the January 7th 2023 edition
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