Issue No: 192; 12 November 2000
Former Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka politicised the military. This is the view of the military Commander, Commodore
Frank Bainimarama.
In a long interview published in today's Fiji Times, Bainimarama says that the 19 May and the 2 November attempted coups
were the work of some people greedy for power. He says that these outside people tried to kill him and depose the Qarase
regime. He provides a very strong hint that Sitiveni Rabuka is a key player from the outside.
[Rabuka was the leader of the 1987 military coup. He then became the Commander of the army and took on the position of
Major General. After than he became the leader of the SVT and the Prime Minister from 1992 to 1999. For the 1999
elections, he entered into a Coalition agreement with the NFP and the UGP but they lost the elections badly. The NFP has
still not distanced itself from the activities of Rabuka.]
Read the extracts of the interview: www.pcgov.org.fj/docs_o
END 12 Nov. 2000