And here is another assessment of Rabuka by a veteran former Fijian journalist JALE MOALA, who as editor of Fiji's Daily Post, had locked his Indo-Fijian staff members upstairs for safety and the native Fijian staff members guarded the front doors to protect them as the looting and arson raged outside during the George Speight coup in 2000. Moala was one of many journalists who had fallen foul of Rabuka's 1987 racist coups
"Rabuka is a real paradox. We'll see him try to reinvent himself to justify his election as party leader -- charming and seemingly compassionate -- but when things don't go his way we'll see something else, after all this was the coup leader who started off determined to stamp his mark on the stage, only to melt in the hands of Jai Ram Reddy and
came back full circle."
By JALE MOALA
As the new leader of Sodelpa what do we expect Sitiveni Rabuka to bring to the political landscape? Same old same old or something new. A bit of both because there are two sides of Rabuka that are completely contrasting and when these two sides collide we get a Rabuka that is inconsistent and confusing. Let me point to one very early example 50 years ago.
As a student at Queen Victoria School, Rabuka was a high-achiever, obedient and loyal, qualities which made him the school headboy in 1967, led him into a successful military career and made him a double sports international for Fiji. However, back at QVS in 1967, when a dispute arose between the students and the principal, Rabuka took the side of the students as they threatened to bring the school to a standstill in a strike. Even when the dispute was resolved Rabuka still turned up the next day at the school assembly to read the scriptures wearing sun glasses.
We have seen these two sides of Rabuka throughout his political career; on a good day he'd call for national unity and on a bad day he'd warn Indo-Fijians to follow the example of Sonia Gandhi in India; immediately after his first coup in 1987 he sought and received the endorsement and blessing of the Great Council of Chiefs and later when he was outmaneuvered by Ratu Mara he turned against the chiefly system and promoted the concept of meritocracy as the gospel of the future.
Rabuka is a real paradox. We'll see him try to reinvent himself to justify his election as party leader -- charming and seemingly compassionate -- but when things don't go his way we'll see something else, after all this was the coup leader who started off determined to stamp his mark on the stage, only to melt in the hands of Jai Ram Reddy and came back full circle.
If you are expecting smooth sailing you might be disappointed.
As the new leader of Sodelpa what do we expect Sitiveni Rabuka to bring to the political landscape? Same old same old or something new. A bit of both because there are two sides of Rabuka that are completely contrasting and when these two sides collide we get a Rabuka that is inconsistent and confusing. Let me point to one very early example 50 years ago.
As a student at Queen Victoria School, Rabuka was a high-achiever, obedient and loyal, qualities which made him the school headboy in 1967, led him into a successful military career and made him a double sports international for Fiji. However, back at QVS in 1967, when a dispute arose between the students and the principal, Rabuka took the side of the students as they threatened to bring the school to a standstill in a strike. Even when the dispute was resolved Rabuka still turned up the next day at the school assembly to read the scriptures wearing sun glasses.
We have seen these two sides of Rabuka throughout his political career; on a good day he'd call for national unity and on a bad day he'd warn Indo-Fijians to follow the example of Sonia Gandhi in India; immediately after his first coup in 1987 he sought and received the endorsement and blessing of the Great Council of Chiefs and later when he was outmaneuvered by Ratu Mara he turned against the chiefly system and promoted the concept of meritocracy as the gospel of the future.
Rabuka is a real paradox. We'll see him try to reinvent himself to justify his election as party leader -- charming and seemingly compassionate -- but when things don't go his way we'll see something else, after all this was the coup leader who started off determined to stamp his mark on the stage, only to melt in the hands of Jai Ram Reddy and came back full circle.
If you are expecting smooth sailing you might be disappointed.
THE TABUA MAN: Sitiveni Rabuka's favourite 'magic' tool - the tabua!
