Wllington: In response to a closely contested election last week, the Fijian police announced on Thursday that they were enlisting the military to assist in maintaining security.
It was a worrying development in a country in the Pacific where there have been four military coups in the last 35 years and democracy is still in its infancy. This year's top two candidates for prime minister were both former coup organisers.
After meeting with Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, police and military leaders decided to enlist the help of the army and navy, according to a statement from Police Commissioner Brig. Gen. Sitiveni Qiliho.
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The commissioner claimed that minority groups had received threats and were "now living in fear as a result of recent political developments."
There were no immediate indications of any military presence on city streets, according to reporters in Suva, the capital.
The military intervention followed Bainimarama's Fiji First party's refusal to accept the results of the election, despite rival Sitiveni Rabuka's party and two other parties declaring they had enough supporters to form a majority coalition and take power as the country's next administration.
According to the nation's constitution, Bainimarama will continue to serve as prime minister until lawmakers reconvene in Parliament in two weeks to choose the new leader, Fiji First General Sec. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said to the media on Wednesday.
The validity of the internal vote that resulted in one of the parties joining Rabuka's coalition was contested by Sayed-Khaiyum. And he reacted angrily, accusing Rabuka of sowing discord in Fiji.
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According to Sayed-Khaiyum, this man's entire motivation is to divide Fiji in order to gain political dominance. And once more, we can see that simmering through. In actuality, it's boiling, not simmering.
A day earlier, Rabuka and two other party leaders declared they would form the next government with a coalition that would have 29 seats overall compared to Fiji First's 26. At a news conference, Rabuka stated, "A government, we hope, will bring the change that people had been calling out for over the last few years." It will be a difficult task. Trying to overthrow an existing government won't be simple, and it's never been simple. Collectively, we have accomplished that."
Nanaia Mahuta, the foreign minister of New Zealand, congratulated Rabuka on her news on Twitter and stated that her country "looks forward to working together to continue strengthening our warm relationship."
Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, adopted a more circumspect stance and stated that she was waiting until the dust had settled.
For sixteen years, Bainimarama has been in charge. After orchestrating a military takeover in 2006, he later recast himself as a democratic leader, introducing a new constitution and triumphing in elections in 2014 and 2018.
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Rabuka, on the other hand, oversaw Fiji's first military coup in 1987 before serving as prime minister for seven years in the 1990s.
After the election, there was initially no progress between Bainimarama and Rabuka. Twenty-one seats went to Rabuka's People's Alliance Party, five to the National Federation Party, and 26 to Bainimarama's Fiji First party.
The Social Democratic Liberal Party, which garnered three seats, now controls the government in a balance. In a close internal vote on Tuesday, the party chose Rabuka by a margin of 16 to 14, a decision that Fiji First is now contesting.