Sitiveni Rabuka

Sitiveni Rabuka

Sitiveni Ligamamada "Steve" Rabuka (born September 13, 1948 in Nakobo, Cakaudrove Province, Central Division ) is a brigadier general and politician from Fiji .

Life

Rabuka joined the Fijian armed forces after attending school and was first commander of the Fijian troops in Lebanon in 1980 and then as an officer in the General Staff responsible for military training . After his promotion to lieutenant colonel in 1982, he became commander of the 2nd Battalion of the Peacekeeping Forces on the Sinai Peninsula in 1984 , before returning to Fiji in 1985 and becoming a general staff officer for military operations and training, the third highest post within the armed forces.

politics

On May 14, 1987, he led a coup that led to the overthrow of the government of Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra , elected only a month earlier . Rabuka justified the coup on the grounds that it was necessary for peace between the ethnic Fijians ( iTaukei ) and the Indians living in Fiji, and to protect the land rights and political influence of the native Fijians. In fact, however, the coup paved the way for some of the worst outbreaks of violence among ethnic groups in Fiji's history . After the coup, Governor General Penaia Ganilau promoted him to colonel and commander of the armed forces.

On September 25, 1987, he ordered a second military coup to maintain a power base. However, this coup drew angry reactions from Australia and New Zealand , who imposed economic sanctions on Fiji. On September 28, 1987, he called a meeting of diplomats from larger countries, who only recognized the incumbent Governor General Penaia Ganilau as the legitimate head of state and interlocutor. Nonetheless, Rabuka was promoted to brigadier general.

Despite growing opposition, Rabuka declared Fiji a republic on October 7, 1987 , ending a 113-year relationship with the United Kingdom, which recognized the proclamation of the republic on October 15, 1987. However, after domestic and foreign confidence in Fiji decreased and the domestic economy fell into a serious crisis, he announced his resignation on December 5, 1987 and handed power to the civilian Prime Minister Kamisese Mara .

On June 2, 1992, Rabuka became Prime Minister himself and held this office for nearly seven years until May 19, 1999.

After the end of his tenure as Prime Minister, he was chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs from 1999 to 2001 and then handed this position over to Brigadier General Ratu Epeli Ganilau , who was his successor as Armed Forces Commander between 1992 and 1999.

Sitiveni Rabuka has been chairman of the council in his home province of Cakaudrove since 2002.

Sports

As a track and field athlete , he competed in four competitions at the British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch in 1974, in each of which he finished last: he was eighth in the shot put , ninth in hammer throw, tenth in discus throw and eleventh in decathlon .

In 2008 he was manager of the rugby union team Pacific Islanders on its European tour.

Web links

• Biography (rulers.org)