ISSUE
Friday, August 22, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 73
The leader of Fiji’s first two coups and a former elected prime minister who ushered in the1997 constitution, Major-General Sitiveni Rabuka, admits he still has political ambitions.
He also believes Australian and New Zealand sanctions imposed on Fiji are “punishing the innocent”.
Rabuka, who led both coups in Fiji in 1987 and was prime minister from 1992-1999, said in an exclusive interview on TV3’s “The Nation” last weekend that he had not ruled out contesting next year’s post-coup elections. “I believe God doesn’t believe in retirement,” he said. “I am still available to contest if my chiefs and my people want me to run as their representative.”
While he would most likely be a member of Parliament if he re-entered the political sphere, he did not rule out a prime ministerial bid. Rabuka also said New Zealand and Australia’s sanctions on Fiji were punishing the innocent. “They’re being felt by the people who have no say in what is going on.” Rabuka said the sanctions were being particularly felt by the people in the army. “They’re just slogging along and they need medical treatment in New Zealand and Australia, they’re not allowed to come in,” he said. “So we have to take them all the way to India. You’re punishing the innocent.”
He said that because of the sanctions, New Zealand and Australia had lost a lot of mana.
“Even after the restoration [of democracy in Fiji] it will not be a restoration, it will be the establishment of a new order. “If we have elections and Australia and New Zealand want to come in, we have the right to say where were you when we needed you.”
The leader of Fiji’s first two coups and a former elected prime minister who ushered in the1997 constitution, Major-General Sitiveni Rabuka, admits he still has political ambitions. He also believes Australian and New Zealand sanctions imposed on Fiji are “punishing the innocent”. Rabuka, who...
The leader of Fiji’s first two coups and a former elected prime minister who ushered in the1997 constitution, Major-General Sitiveni Rabuka, admits he still has political ambitions.
He also believes Australian and New Zealand sanctions imposed on Fiji are “punishing the innocent”.
Rabuka, who led both coups in Fiji in 1987 and was prime minister from 1992-1999, said in an exclusive interview on TV3’s “The Nation” last weekend that he had not ruled out contesting next year’s post-coup elections. “I believe God doesn’t believe in retirement,” he said. “I am still available to contest if my chiefs and my people want me to run as their representative.”
While he would most likely be a member of Parliament if he re-entered the political sphere, he did not rule out a prime ministerial bid. Rabuka also said New Zealand and Australia’s sanctions on Fiji were punishing the innocent. “They’re being felt by the people who have no say in what is going on.” Rabuka said the sanctions were being particularly felt by the people in the army. “They’re just slogging along and they need medical treatment in New Zealand and Australia, they’re not allowed to come in,” he said. “So we have to take them all the way to India. You’re punishing the innocent.”
He said that because of the sanctions, New Zealand and Australia had lost a lot of mana.
“Even after the restoration [of democracy in Fiji] it will not be a restoration, it will be the establishment of a new order. “If we have elections and Australia and New Zealand want to come in, we have the right to say where were you when we needed you.”
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