(+) Fiji's Commonwealth Suspension (See Correction)
Unfortunate. Inevitable. Sad. Fiji is fully suspended from the Commonwealth.
This outcome was obvious months ago. Ever since the Commonwealth followed the Forum's lead on insisting on conditions that would not --and could not -- be met if Fiji were to carry out the reforms chartered by the Bainimarama government before elections were held.
One can, of course, see where the Forum and Commonwealth are coming from. They had to react to what they saw as an illegitimate regime imposed by the military. The pity is they could not also see that the regime that was deposed was far from democratic, even though it had the support of most ethnic Fijians. And that the only way to break the cycle of coups, and establish a just and more genuine democracy, was to remove race as the inflammatory accelerant from Fiji politics once and for all. The party leaders, Qarase and Chaudhry, the Commonwealth insist Bainimarama include in dialogue do not want this. Race-based parties and electorates guarante…
This outcome was obvious months ago. Ever since the Commonwealth followed the Forum's lead on insisting on conditions that would not --and could not -- be met if Fiji were to carry out the reforms chartered by the Bainimarama government before elections were held.
One can, of course, see where the Forum and Commonwealth are coming from. They had to react to what they saw as an illegitimate regime imposed by the military. The pity is they could not also see that the regime that was deposed was far from democratic, even though it had the support of most ethnic Fijians. And that the only way to break the cycle of coups, and establish a just and more genuine democracy, was to remove race as the inflammatory accelerant from Fiji politics once and for all. The party leaders, Qarase and Chaudhry, the Commonwealth insist Bainimarama include in dialogue do not want this. Race-based parties and electorates guarante…