Tuesday 1 September 2009

Rerevaka na Kalou ka Doka na Tui

"Fear God and honour the Queen."

1 Peter 2:17, the Word of God revealed to the first Pope.

And still the motto of Fiji, despite the abolition of the monarchy in 1987 in the first of an ongoing series of military coups, the cause of her in-out-in-out relationship with the Commonwealth, which was given its latest twist today as the place was suspended. Again.

But the Queen is still on the bank notes and the stamps. The Union Flag is still in the corner of the flag. Fiji provides plenty of troops for the British Army. And so on. For the Queen remains Paramount Chief of the Great Council of Chiefs of Fiji, and the President must be from one of those chiefly families, acknowledging as they do the Queen as Paramount. Who is really the Head of State there? No wonder that the latest unelected military ruler has suspended that Council.

And when was Fiji better off? Before 1987, when she was peaceable and had an elected government? Or since, when she is for ever having military coups, the leader of the latest of which refuses to hold any more elections until 2014, if he has any real plans to do so even then?

Rerevaka na Kalou ka Doka na Tui.

Fear God and honour the Queen.

2 comments:

  1. Break Dancing Jesus2 September 2009 at 09:46

    More neo-imperialist fascist ranting. Your thinking is so four decades behind.

    How's the paramilitary wing, I mean the uniformed civilian wing of the BPA going? Will the "Brown Trousers" be marching on the Indian Chef take away any time soon?

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Your thinking is so four decades behind"

    The English-speaking dimension of this is lost on you, I see. Well, that doesn't really come as any surprise.

    And I think you'll find that this is the *current* political situation.

    In true New Labour fashion, you hate Britain, and honestly cannot understand why anyone would wish to maintain ties to and through her at all, never mind to little or no economic or strategic benefit (for good or ill), but out of pure affection.

    ReplyDelete