Freed George Speight unlikely to enter politics

A Fiji politics watcher doubts that the 2000 coup frontman George Speight will seek to involve himself in Fijian politics, after being released from prison last week.

Speight held the country’s first Prime Minister of Indian ancestry, Mahendra Chaudhry and dozens of others captive in the parliament building for fifty-six days. 

He was granted a pardon last week and released after 24 years in custody.

Victoria University of Wellington political scientist, Jon Fraenkel, told RNZ Pacific Speight’s release did not come as a surprise.

“He has been in prison 24 years now, most of the conspirators of May 19, 2000 were released after only one or two years. So it was always likely that Speight would be released,” he said.

Sensitivities following release

But Speight’s release has certain sensitivities attached to it.

“Particularly as regards the military because he is in many ways symbolic of everything the military was fighting against when (Frank) Bainimarama was in power, so that made it a little bit difficult. But I think most people, think the time has come, although it has raised some concerns in some quarters,” Fraenkel said.

Last week, Chaudhry, 83, told RNZ Pacific that he was very concerned about the release, saying that the victims of his violent uprising more than two decades ago have not received justice.

“Now that Speight is free, I hope he enlightens us as to who was really behind the coup because he said he was just the frontman,” he said.

Sense of forgiveness

Fiji’s Navy Commander, Commodore Humphrey Tawake told RNZ Pacific that the military ‘has been given specific instructions not to comment on Speight’s release.’

“No one in the military is authorised to speak to the media except the Commander (Ratu Jone Kalouniwai),” Tawake said.

Fraenkel said that there has not been any explicit announcement by the military and “nor should there necessarily be”.

“I think Jone Kalouniwai, the current Commander has steered clear of making too many media statements, he has got a better relationship with the Home Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduauda than Bainimarama did before the coup.

“I think that he has got a better relationship with the Prime Minister as well,” he said.

Fraenkel also noted that Shane Stevens, the Leader of the mutiny within the military in November 2000 – after the May 2000 coup – has also been released.

He said Kalouniwai, “who is very keen on making it known that he is his own man”, has been engaged in reconciliation efforts across the military.

“There is a truth in reconciliation commission going on in the broader country at the moment, but I know that the Commander sees a reconciliation within the military forces as being the first thing to do and then seeking some kind of broader reconciliation.”

He said that there were a lot of people in Fiji who were under 24 years old and who were children at the time when Speight carried out the coup.

“They probably would not have that much knowledge of (the coup), although they lived through the consequences of it in many ways. The attitudes seem to be so strongly differentiated, still on ethnic lines, especially in the older generation. But amongst the Indigenous Fijians, there would be a strong sense that the time has come to turn the corner and that there should be some degree of forgiveness,” he said.

Christian Forgiveness

He said that after nearly a quarter of a century “there is a strong sense of Christian forgiveness”, particularly in the ruling People’s Alliance Party.

“I think that in the Fiji Indian community, the reactions are more mixed. I doubt it very much (he will look at a political career). I heard one (social media) post suggesting that he was going to become Prime Minister. I do not think so. But who knows what role he might play in the future?”

Fraenkel also ruled out the possibility of Speight joining Sitiveni Rabuka’s People’s Alliance Party.

“I do not think that we are in the sort of conditions where a new radical nationalist party is likely to emerge, nor do we know anything about Speight’s political disposition. I have heard that he is a devout Christian; most of his family is overseas; I have been told he had a marital breakup within a year of going to prison. So, his life has been completely transformed in many ways, probably ruined as a result of what’s happened in prison.”

‘Tell the truth’ – Rabuka

Following Speight’s release, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said that the decision by the Mercy Commission to pardon him was “made following due process, with no external interference.”

“These decisions should be viewed as part of our nation’s ongoing efforts toward reconciliation and healing. Those of us who contributed to our nation’s instability must take responsibility for the delays in major development progress,” he said.

But he told the Fiji Sun that he was a victim of Speight’s silence due to speculations linking him to the events of 2000.

“We want him to tell the truth. I am one of those who have been victims of his silence,” Rabuka was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Speight has not made any public comments since his release on 19 September.

Don Wiseman is a Pacific Senior Journalist at Radio New Zealand. The above story and pictures have been published under a special agreement with www.rnz.co.nz