Resignation of Kamisese Mara

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Resignation of Kamisese Mara" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Politics of Fiji
Constitution History
Executive President (list) Naiqama Lalabalavu Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka Cabinet Attorney-General Siromi Turaga Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu
Legislative Parliament Speaker: Naiqama Lalabalavu
Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice: Kamal Kumar Court of Appeal High Court
Elections Electoral system Voting Political parties Post-independence elections 1972 Mar 1977 Sep 1977 1982 1987 1992 1994 1999 2001 2006 2014 2018 2022 Next
Local government Recent local elections 2002 2005
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister: Sitiveni Rabuka Diplomatic missions of / in Fiji Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
Former and informal Monarchy Governor Governor-General Chief Minister Executive Council House of Representatives Constituencies Open Communal National Legislative Council Great Council of Chiefs Chairman Senate Vice-President
Other countries
v t e

Part of a series on the
History of Fiji
Early history
Discovery of Fiji The rise and fall of Cakobau Colonial Fiji
Modern history
Dominion of Fiji Constitutional crisis of 1977 Coups of 1987 Military–church relations COVID-19 pandemic
Coup of 2000
Timeline Mutinies Ratu Mara resigns Trials Court Martial
Proposed Reconciliation Commission
Supporters Opponents Qualified positions Military opposition Religious reaction International reaction
Crisis of 2005–2006
Timeline Reaction Unrest in 2006
Coup of 2006
Constitutional crisis of 2009
v t e

Fiji's President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara resigned under duress on May 29, 2000, and handed power over to Commodore Frank Bainimarama.^[1] In what politicians have called a "coup within a coup," Ratu Mara was whisked away on a warship on May 28. "If the Constitution goes, I go," he defiantly declared. A group including Police Commissioner Isikia Savua asked for his resignation.^[2][3]

Chaudhry, for his part, has claimed that Ilisoni Ligairi, Speight's security chief, told him that Savua and former Prime Minister Rabuka were involved in the planning of the coup. "Ligairi can't lie as he was very much involved and is now awaiting trial at Nukulau Island," Chaudhry said.^[4]

The military regime that took over appointed Ratu Josefa Iloilo as president. After the coup had been quashed, the High Court ruled on 15 October 2000 that Mara's replacement was unconstitutional and ordered his reinstatement, but Mara decided to spare the country further constitutional trauma by resigning officially, with his resignation retroactive to May 29, 2000.^[5]

The Police declared that they were facing many challenges in their investigation, finding many officers uncooperative. Then on 30 April 2004, Police spokesman Mesake Koroi, said that a lot of hearsay and rumours were going around that would not stand up in court. Many witnesses were refusing to talk. "Unfortunately we are hitting a brick wall in our investigations at the moment," Koroi said.^[6]

• 2000 Fijian coup d'état

• Trnka, S. (2011). State of Suffering: Political Violence and Community Survival in Fiji. United States: Cornell University Press., ISBN 9780801461880 Read
• Pretes, M. (2008). Coup: Reflections on the Political Crisis in Fiji. United States: ANU E Press., ISBN 9781921536373 Read
• Baba, T., Nabobo-Baba, U., Field, M. (2005). Speight of Violence: Inside Fiji's 2000 Coup. Australia: Pandanus Books., ISBN 9781740761703 Read