| 1987 Fijian coups d'état | |||||||
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| Part of theFijian coups | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Fijian Armed Forces | Government of Fiji | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Lt Col.Sitiveni Rabuka | |||||||
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Legislative
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Part ofa series on the |
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| History ofFiji |
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| Early history |
| Modern history |
| Coup of 2000 |
| Proposed Reconciliation Commission |
| Crisis of 2005–2006 |
| Coup of 2006 |
TheFijian coups d'état of 1987 resulted in the overthrow of the elected government of Fijian Prime MinisterTimoci Bavadra, the deposition ofElizabeth II asQueen of Fiji, and in the declaration of a republic. The first coup d'état, in which Bavadra was deposed, took place on 14 May 1987; a second coup d'état on 25 September ended the monarchy, and was shortly followed by the proclamation of a republic on 10 October. Both military actions were led byLieutenant ColonelSitiveni Rabuka, then third in command of theRoyal Fiji Military Forces.
Both before and afterFiji regained its independence from theUnited Kingdom in 1970, tensions between theindigenous Fijian andIndo-Fijian ethnic groups (comprising an estimated 46% and 49% of the 1987 population, respectively) continually manifested themselves in social and political unrest.[1]
Prior to the 1987 coups in Fiji, the Indian population's share as a fraction of the total Fijian population was increasing. From 1946 to the late 1980s, Indians were more numerous than indigenous Fijians, with the Indian population constituting a majority in Fiji from 1956 through to the late 1980s.[2] Fiji's Indian population expansion arose from several factors, including high post–Second World War birth rates,[3] a reduction in the indigenous Fijian population after the1875 measles outbreak, and large-scale migration programmes initiated under British colonial rule in the late 19th century, when labourers were brought fromBritish India to farm sugar cane.[4]
TheFijian general election of April 1987 resulted in the replacement of the indigenous-led conservative government of Prime MinisterRatuSir Kamisese Mara with a multi-ethnicLabour-led coalition supported mostly by the Indo-Fijian plurality and Rabuka claimed ethnic Fijian concerns ofracial discrimination as his excuse for seizing power. Many authorities doubt the veracity of this, however, given existing constitutional guarantees.[5]
On the morning of 14 May, around 10 am, a section of ten masked, armed soldiers entered the FijianHouse of Representatives and subdued the national legislature, which had gathered there for its morning session.Lieutenant ColonelSitiveni Rabuka, dressed in civilian clothes, approached Prime MinisterTimoci Bavadra from his position in the public gallery and ordered the members of parliament to leave the building. They did so without resisting. The coup was an apparent success and had been accomplished without loss of life.
At around 11 am,Radio Fiji announced the news of the military takeover. Rabuka was reported to have gone toGovernment House to see theGovernor-General,RatuSir Penaia Ganilau. He was seeking recognition of the military action and the overthrow of the Bavadra government. A caretaker government was to be named shortly, and the public was urged to "remain calm and continue with their daily work."[6] At the meeting, the Governor-General (who was Rabuka's paramount chief) gave a mild rebuke to Rabuka. He asked him "What have you done?" and "You mean I have no job?" He added that Rabuka should have given the deposed government more time. The meeting ended withRatu Sir Penaia stating "Good luck, I hope you know what you are doing."[7]
Following the coup, the Governor-General commissioned a Constitution Review Committee, led bySir John Falvey, to look at the "deficiencies" of Fiji's 1970 constitution.
The commission was to begin hearings on 6 July and deliver its recommendations to the Governor-General by 31 July. Its terms of reference were to "strengthen the representation of indigenousFijians, and in so doing bear in mind the best interests of other peoples in Fiji."[8] The commission received 860 written and 120 oral submissions, and produced a report recommending a newunicameral legislature comprising 36Fijians (28 elected and 8 appointed by theGreat Council of Chiefs), 22Indo-Fijians, 8General electors, 1Rotuman, and up to four nominees of the Prime Minister.National constituencies, ethnically allocated and elected by universal suffrage, were to be abolished, and all voting was to be communal. The Prime Minister's post was to be reserved for an indigenous Fijian.[9][10]
The Governor-General dissolvedParliament and granted amnesty to Rabuka, while promoting him to the position of commander of the Royal Fiji Military Forces. The actions of the Governor-General were viewed with suspicion by the deposed government and Bavadra challengedRatuSir Penaia's decision in theSupreme Court of Fiji.[11]
From independence in 1970, Fiji'shead of state was theQueen of Fiji, Elizabeth II. The FijianSupreme Court ruled the May coup to be totally unconstitutional, and the Governor-General attempted to assert executivereserve power. He opened negotiations known as the Deuba Talks with both the deposed government and theAlliance Party, which most indigenous Fijians supported. These negotiations culminated in the Deuba Accord of 23 September 1987, which provided for a government of national unity, in which both parties would be represented under the leadership of the Governor-General. Fearing that the gains of the first coup were about to be lost, Rabuka staged a second coup on 25 September.[12] Rabuka then declared Fiji a republic on 7 October 1987, abrogating the Constitution of Fiji and stating that he had removed the Governor-General from office,[12] and declaring himself Head of the Interim Military Government.Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau resigned as Governor-General on 15 October,[13] although he was made the firstPresident of Fiji on 6 December 1987.[13]
Australia andNew Zealand, the two nations with foremost political influence in the region, were somewhat disquieted by the event, but ultimately took no action to intervene. They did, however, establish a policy of non-recognition regarding the new government, suspending foreign aid in concert with the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Australian labour movement, taking the ousting of a labour led government as an affront to the worldwide labour movement, instituted an embargo against shipments to Fiji. As Australia was Fiji's largest foreign trading partner, this resulted in a large diminution in Fiji's international trade.
In the immediate aftermath of the second coup, the United Nations denounced the coup, demanding that the former government be restored. TheCommonwealth responded with Fiji's immediateexpulsion from the association.
Fiji's economy contracted by as much as 7.8% between 1987 and 1988,[14] due to a major downturn in tourism and sugar production.[15]
A new constitution was ratified in 1990, in which the offices ofPresident andPrime Minister, along with two-thirds of theSenate and a substantial majority of the House of Representatives, were reserved for indigenous Fijians. These racially discriminatory provisions were eventually overturned by aconstitutional revision in 1997. Fiji became arepublic in the Commonwealth of Nations in late 1997.
The coups triggered much emigration by Indo-Fijians (particularlyskilled workers),[16] making them a minority by 1994.
In 2014, Rabuka admitted that Mara had told him to seize power before the coup, telling him during a golf game that "the only way to change the situation now is to throw this constitution out of the window".[17]
In December 2024 the Rabuka government established theFiji Truth and Reconciliation Commission to inquire into the 1987, 2000, and 2006 coups. In January 2025 Rabuka said he would identify those behind the coups to the commission.[18]
