55 Facts About Sitiveni Rabuka

Sitiveni Rabuka was the instigator of two military coups in 1987.

Sitiveni Rabuka was democratically elected as Prime Minister of Fiji, serving from 1992 to 1999, and again in 2022, leading a three-party coalition.

Sitiveni Rabuka served as Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs from 1999 to 2001, and later as Chairman of the Cakaudrove Provincial Council from 2001 to 2008.

Sitiveni Rabuka was appointed as the leader of the Opposition to Parliament in 2018, following the 2018 election defeat.

Sitiveni Rabuka was the only nomination for the position, and his nomination was moved by Ro Teimumu Kepa and seconded by Biman Prasad.

Sitiveni Rabuka was ousted as SODELPA leader by Viliame Gavoka in a leadership contest.

Sitiveni Rabuka resigned from parliament in 2020, citing that he would no longer be an obstacle to the bipartisan approach to be taken by the leaders of Fiji to create harmony and progress, and unity in Fiji.

Sitiveni Rabuka formed a new political party in 2020, named Peoples Alliance, to contest the 2022 election.

Sitiveni Rabuka was educated at Queen Victoria School, where he became the head boy in his final year.

Sitiveni Rabuka represented Fiji in shot put, hammer throw, discus and the decathlon at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games and has represented Fiji national rugby union team in the 1970's.

Sitiveni Rabuka was trained initially in New Zealand army schools, from which he graduated in 1973, and completed a professional development course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Sitiveni Rabuka did postgraduate work at the Indian Defence Services Staff College in 1979, and at the Australian Joint Services Staff College in 1982.

Sitiveni Rabuka was a senior operation plans manager for UNIFIL peacekeeping troops in Lebanon in 1980 and 1981.

Sitiveni Rabuka was seen as a hero by the Indigenous members when he overthrew Fiji's first Indian government to install an indigenous Fijian ruling class.

In 2006, Sitiveni Rabuka finally apologised for having executed the coups.

Sitiveni Rabuka's government was weakened from the outset by a leadership challenge by former Finance Minister Josefata Kamikamica.

Sitiveni Rabuka formed a coalition with the small General Voters Party, a small party supported almost entirely by general electors, who comprised Europeans, Chinese, and other minorities.

Sitiveni Rabuka agreed to negotiate with moderate leaders of the Indo-Fijian community to draft a controversial new Constitution, which removed most of the provisions that had biased the political system in favour of indigenous Fijians.

Sitiveni Rabuka lost these elections, and was replaced by Mahendra Chaudhry, the first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister.

Sitiveni Rabuka was forced to relinquish this post in 2001 in the wake of allegations made against him by former President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara of complicity in the Fiji coup of 2000, which deposed both Mara and the Indo-Fijian Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, on 19 May 2000.

Ratu Mara told the programme that within half an hour of Speight's forcible occupation of the Parliament, Sitiveni Rabuka had telephoned Government House to offer to form a government.

Sitiveni Rabuka further alleged that the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit of the Army had been involved in the coup after receiving training on a farm owned by Rabuka.

Fiji Village quoted Singh on 18 August 2006 as saying, at the launch of his memoir, "Speaking Out", that Sitiveni Rabuka had told him personally that he was one of the ring-leaders and that real target of the coup was not the Chaudhry government, but Ratu Mara, and that Mara had voiced his own suspicions about Sitiveni Rabuka to Singh.

Sitiveni Rabuka refused to comment on Singh's allegations, citing sub judice.

Sitiveni Rabuka was accused of instigating or supporting the mutiny that took place at Suva's Queen Elizabeth Barracks on 2 November 2000.

Bainimarama accused Sitiveni Rabuka of having "politicised" the Counter Revolutionary Warfare unit, which he had founded as a bodyguard in 1987, to favour both the mutiny and the earlier takeover of parliament in May Members of the CRW were involved in both the May coup and the November mutiny.

Sitiveni Rabuka, a retired officer, denied supporting the mutiny, but refused to comment on an accusation from Bainimarama that he had called a meeting of senior officers loyal to him to depose Bainimarama.

Sitiveni Rabuka was arrested on 11 May 2006 on charges of inciting Lieutenant Colonel Viliame Seruvakula to commit a military mutiny on 2 November 2000, in the aftermath of the 2000 coup.

Sitiveni Rabuka entered no plea, was released on $F 1000 bail, and was required to surrender his passport.

Judge Gerard Winter ruled that the charges against Sitiveni Rabuka were serious and that he must not be allowed to abscond.

On 11 December 2006, Sitiveni Rabuka was found not guilty on two counts of inciting a mutiny.

In early 2005, Sitiveni Rabuka ruled himself out of contesting the 2006 parliamentary election, but on 7 May said he was reconsidering, following appeals from Fijian businessmen and former politicians to be part of a move to unite all ethnically Fijian parties in a joint ticket to contest the next election.

Sitiveni Rabuka has stressed that he believes that political unity among indigenous Fijians is essential to prevent the election of an Indo-Fijian dominated government in 2006.

Sitiveni Rabuka accused Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, who has called for unity among ethnic Fijians, of hypocrisy, saying that in the 1990s there was only one mainstream Fijian party, but that others had split from it and founded numerous competing groups.

Sitiveni Rabuka said he would follow the will of the people in deciding whether or not to contest the 2006 elections.

On 7 February 2006, Sitiveni Rabuka said that he was still considering whether to contest the forthcoming elections.

Sitiveni Rabuka thought it "unwise", without elaborating, to contest seats in his native Cakaudrove, or those held by members of the Grand Coalition, and might contest only if an urban open constituency was available.

Sitiveni Rabuka considered that given his length of time out of politics, making a comeback would be difficult.

Sitiveni Rabuka called for all political parties to be, and be seen to be, representing all ethnic groups.

The Fiji Times reported on 15 December 2006 that Sitiveni Rabuka stated that he saw no possibility that Laisenia Qarase, deposed as Prime Minister in a 2006 Fijian coup d'etat on 5 December, would return to power.

Sitiveni Rabuka denied supporting the coup, but said that Qarase, along with deposed President Ratu Josefa Iloilo, were weak leaders who had done nothing to forestall the coup by negotiating with the Military while there was still time.

Sitiveni Rabuka mostly kept a low profile after the 2006 coup.

Sitiveni Rabuka sought the leadership of the newly formed Social Democratic Liberal Party, the successor party to former Prime Minister Qarase's Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua, which the Military-backed interim government had dissolved, but was rebuffed after he said that he had no regrets about the 1987 coups.

On 25 May 2018, Sitiveni Rabuka was charged by anti-corruption agency Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption in relation to the declaration of his assets and liabilities as required under the Political Parties Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures Act.

Sitiveni Rabuka was tried during the election campaign and acquitted.

Shortly before the appeal was decided Sitiveni Rabuka was again called in by police on unspecified charges.

Sitiveni Rabuka won 77,040 votes in the election, gaining a seat in parliament.

On 27 November 2020, Sitiveni Rabuka was ousted as SODELPA leader in a leadership contest.

Sitiveni Rabuka formed a new political party in 2021, named the People's Alliance, to contest the 2022 election.

Sitiveni Rabuka had been summoned to the police station after questioning the results and calling for a military intervention, despite observers calling the election free and fair.

On 26 December 2022, Sitiveni Rabuka approved the return of USP Vice-Chancellor Pal Ahluwalia and Padma Lal, wife of the late Professor Brij Lal who were expelled from Fiji by Bainimarama's government.

On 20 January 2023, Sitiveni Rabuka travelled to Kiribati for his first official state visit where he met President Taneti Maamau.

In January 2025, Sitiveni Rabuka said that he would disclose the names of individuals behind the 1987 coups before the Fiji Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

In October 2008, it was reported that Sitiveni Rabuka would be the manager of the Pacific Islanders rugby union team during its tour of Europe.

Sitiveni Rabuka married Suluweti Tuiloma at RFMF officers mess in Nabua on 10 April 1975.