KEY POINTS:
Some Fijians want to penalise the Indo-Fijian community for its perceived support of the present regime, says a former vice-president of the island nation.
At the annual Pacific Cooperation Foundation lecture in Wellington last night, Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi said such emotions were counterproductive and there must be a conscious effort by Fiji's future leaders to adopt a "no victors, no vanquished" policy.
"There is a worrying sentiment among some Fijians of penalising the Indo-Fijian community for its perceived support of the present regime when the country returns to democratic rule," Ratu Madraiwiwi said.
But there was no place for those kinds of feelings, just as there was no cause for the triumphalism among Fijians that emerged after the 1987 and 2000 coups.
"Both kinds of emotions are counterproductive and destructive because they simply prolong division and dissension."
Ratu Madraiwiwi said leadership would place a heavy responsibility on those who assumed power.
"They must initiate a process of reconciliation and engagement."
He said the previous SDL Government had not been inclusive enough.
"It left many wounded and fostering feelings in the Indo-Fijian and other communities."
Ratu Madraiwiwi said it would be foolish to deny the existence of ethnic feelings in Fijian society, and the resulting barriers had been manipulated for advantage by both sides.
A series of initiatives could be undertaken to establish a sense of fairness and reinforce social cohesion like merit appointments to the public service, with allowances for ethnic balance where necessary.
Where affirmative measures remained in place, they should be monitored, open to public scrutiny and have measurable guidelines as well as time lines.
"The collective purpose of these actions is to re-establish confidence in there being a level playing field."
Ratu Madraiwiwi said the stated aim of the interim regime to remove the present electoral system was welcome because there was little argument it had reinforced ethnic patterns of voting.
The concerns of some Fijians about changing the system was mistaken, he said. "The preponderance of Fijians in the population, coupled with Indo-Fijian emigration will ensure Fijian numerical superiority in the next elections however boundaries are drawn."
There would instead be a need to protect minorities who must have a guaranteed a voice in Parliament, he said.
Ratu Madraiwiwi said in spite of the divisions exacerbated by the December coup, it was critical that the next government was one of national unity.
Ratu Madraiwiwi said a concern was the role of the military which had been at the centre of the four coups.
"To deny them any participation in national affairs for the foreseeable future would be unrealistic. But clear protocols need to be developed between the government and the military."
