The Big Questions Facing the Smaller Parties, Especially if it’s an 8-Party Poll

Several issues have to be taken into account before parties decide whether to enter into a coalition arrangement or not for next year’s General Election.

Already three small parties, the Freedom Alliance, Unity Fiji and

Fiji Labour Party have signed a memorandum of understanding to contest the election in a united front.

Under the 2013 Constitution there is no provision to prohibit parties forming an election before or after the election.

The stage is set for parties to be thinking coalition given the crowded political space.

Eight political parties will vie for seats. The high number means votes will be divided and it may be difficult for one party to win outright with a workable majority to form the Government as indicated by the two recent Fiji Sun-Western Force public opinion polls.

This raises the prospect that forming a coalition of parties to form the Government or the Opposition could be a mouth-watering possibility for the Opposition parties. The concept of coalition is not new to our political environment.

History

In 1987, the National Federation Party–Fiji Labour Party coalition led by the late Dr Timoci Bavadra formed a coalition to contest the April election. It defeated the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara-led Alliance Government 28 seats to 24. But this was a race-based election conducted under the 1970 Constitution.

The next election is different. It is not race-based and not several constituencies. It will be one-person vote and one constituency.

With the multi-constituency setup the coalition idea appears to work better. With one single constituency it’s harder to work out the lineup.

Freedom Alliance, FLP and Unity Fiji will have to decide how many candidates they field to maximise their impact. In the old system they can field a joint candidate in one constituency and ask all their supporters to vote for that candidate

Now, the only option is to field their best candidates who have the pulling power.

But there are also inherent dangers in forming a coalition as we saw in the 1999 election when voters voted with their feet, rejecting the coalition of Sitiveni Rabuka’s Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei (SVT) and Jai Ram Reddy’s NFP.

It hammered the death knell for SVT and reduced the the NFP, the oldest party, to a shadow of its former glory.

In the run-up to the 2006 election, the iTaukei parties tried to form a grand coalition that included the Soqosoqo ni Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL) of the late Prine Minister Laisenia Qarase, partner Conservative Alliance Matanitu Vanua (CAMV), what was left of the SVT, Nationalist Vanua Tiko Lavo Party (NVTL), the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Party of National Unity (PANU).

PNP and PANU withdrew to oppose the coalition.

The decision by CAMV then led by the Tui Cakau, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, now the Opposition leader, to dissolve the party and merge with SDL created doubts and suspicion to the rest of the coalition. It was no surprise that the coalition was virtually dead before the election and SDL romped home with 36 seats with the coalition partners winning none.

Coalition experiences

Those who have had coalition experience like Mr Rabuka, Ratu Naiqama, Ro Teimumu Kepa and SODELPA party leader Viliame Gavoka who (served in the SDL Goverment) know it is fraught with danger because of ideological differences. FLP leader Mahendra. Chaudhry is the only surviving member of the 1987 NFP-FLP coalition in active politics.

But he knows the situation now is different to 1987. He was in a strong position of influence then but not now. His newly formed coalition group has decided its better to forge the united front now then after the election. The other parties are watching and assessing whether it’s better to wait after the election to make their move.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY FS #49/21 FROM J.V. CERNEY’S: DYNAMIC LAWS OF THINKING RICH

1.Bend when the wind blows. Move with the tide.Never resist the forces around you until you are in position to do so.Adapt! Don’t fight it! When in Rome do as the Romans do. ADAPT. You have in you what it takes to adapt! Just believe.

FROM THE BIBLE:GOD’S WORD, BELIEVE IT, DO IT.

1.And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Acts 20:32

ME NOMUNI NA KALOU VINAKA KEI NA SAUTU

PROVIDED BY AMBASSADOR (RET’D) SIR JAMES MICHAEL AH KOY KBE, CF, OF, OBE, PAPALII, JP, COMMISSIONER FOR OATHS, CHARTERED MARKETER