Fijileaks:
REST IN PEACE, RATU JONI MADRAIWIWI
“Ratu Joni was party to a submission by a [Bauan] delegation calling for the declaration of a Christian state in Fiji. It now transpires that he did this while being a paid consultant to the [Ghai Constitution Review Commission], which makes his position untenable.”
Frank Bainimarama, 2013
"Ratu Joni will be accorded State Honours for his funeral on the island of Bau. Government will also present its i-reguregu on Thursday morning."
Bainimarama, 4 October 2016
Fijileaks: We will examine the life and times of the late Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi as soon as our founding Editor-in-Chief VICTOR LAL is free to refocus on Fijileaks. Victor Lal's opinion columns in the Fiji Sun and later in other mediums exposed the late Ratu Joni as a man of contradictions - weak and indecisive - and based on highly confidential documents from inside the Fijian judiciary, Ratu Joni, as a High Court judge harboured anti-Indo-Fijian views against some fellow judges. During the 1977 constitutional crisis, the young Ratu Joni and his life-long legal and social chum Graham Leung, penned a joint article claiming the former NFP leader Siddiq Koya was rightly denied the prime ministership, which saw the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara re-appointed to lead a caretaker Mara administration. During the 2000 crisis, Ratu Joini refused to uphold the 1997 Constitution, siding with Justices Timoci Tuivaqa, Michael Scott and Daniel Fatiaki. In other words, the decision resulted in the ousted FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry being denied the right to be re-instated as Prime Minister. Again, during and after the 2006 coup, Ratu Joni abdicated his responsibility, prompting Larry Dinger, the former US ambassador to Fiji, to inform his masters in Washington: "From VP Madraiwiwi's private comments last weekend, it sounds as if Government House has decided to duck, a breathtaking abdication of responsibility." During the drafting of the Ghai Constitution, our founding Editor-in-Chief had privately warned Professor Yash Ghai to keep "Ratu Joni at arms length" for if not, his high-profile involvement will result in utter disappointment - the rest is HISTORY!
Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi is best remembered as a person whose reputation for integrity was intact because he did not succumb to the trappings of power and compromises to the rule of law in a nation plagued by military coups and political upheavals in the last 29 years.
Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi was one of the very few leaders who assumed multi-ethnic statesmanship in a country that is still at odds with itself in trying to achieve lasting social, economic and political advancement.
One should never forget that Ratu Joni was twice a victim of military coups in this country. Following the May 2000 coup, Ratu Joni resigned as a Judge of the High Court after then government was toppled at gunpoint and the Military abrogated the 1997 Constitution.
In December 2006, in his second year as Vice President, Military Commander Voreqe Bainimarama dismissed Ratu Joni from office when he did not agree with Commander Bainimarama’s plans to execute a coup to overthrow the then democratically elected government.
Democracy, rule of law and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms were the cornerstone principles of Ratu Joni throughout his career as a lawyer, a Permanent Arbitrator, Sugar Industry Tribunal, a Judge, as a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner in the Solomon Islands, as Chief Justice of Nauru and above all as a high chief.
Humility, care and concern for the ordinary people was also at the forefront of Ratu Joni’s public life, despite the fact that he was a high chief and the Gone Turaga Roko Tui Bau. He was truly a “man of the people”.
Ratu Joni was twice the keynote speaker at National Federation Party Annual Conventions of July 2001 and March 2014. This is symbolic because both those conventions were held on the eve of the general elections in August 2001 and September 2014 respectively. He also delivered words of wisdom to cane growers at the Fiji Cane Growers Association AGM in July 2005.
Ratu Joni brought dignity and decorum to any position and office that he held throughout his illustrious and unblemished career.
The NFP believes Fiji has suffered an irreplaceable loss of voice of reason, national conscience, hope and a unifying force in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural country.
As leaders we would do well to try and emulate Ratu Joni’s principles if we genuinely believe in genuine democracy, rule of law and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms at all times.
Honourable Professor Biman Prasad
Leader
National Federation Party
Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi was one of the very few leaders who assumed multi-ethnic statesmanship in a country that is still at odds with itself in trying to achieve lasting social, economic and political advancement.
One should never forget that Ratu Joni was twice a victim of military coups in this country. Following the May 2000 coup, Ratu Joni resigned as a Judge of the High Court after then government was toppled at gunpoint and the Military abrogated the 1997 Constitution.
In December 2006, in his second year as Vice President, Military Commander Voreqe Bainimarama dismissed Ratu Joni from office when he did not agree with Commander Bainimarama’s plans to execute a coup to overthrow the then democratically elected government.
Democracy, rule of law and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms were the cornerstone principles of Ratu Joni throughout his career as a lawyer, a Permanent Arbitrator, Sugar Industry Tribunal, a Judge, as a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner in the Solomon Islands, as Chief Justice of Nauru and above all as a high chief.
Humility, care and concern for the ordinary people was also at the forefront of Ratu Joni’s public life, despite the fact that he was a high chief and the Gone Turaga Roko Tui Bau. He was truly a “man of the people”.
Ratu Joni was twice the keynote speaker at National Federation Party Annual Conventions of July 2001 and March 2014. This is symbolic because both those conventions were held on the eve of the general elections in August 2001 and September 2014 respectively. He also delivered words of wisdom to cane growers at the Fiji Cane Growers Association AGM in July 2005.
Ratu Joni brought dignity and decorum to any position and office that he held throughout his illustrious and unblemished career.
The NFP believes Fiji has suffered an irreplaceable loss of voice of reason, national conscience, hope and a unifying force in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural country.
As leaders we would do well to try and emulate Ratu Joni’s principles if we genuinely believe in genuine democracy, rule of law and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms at all times.
Honourable Professor Biman Prasad
Leader
National Federation Party
