On April 7, 1977, just hours after being re-elected as leader of the Alliance Party, outgoing Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara sat down with journalists in Suva for a frank and unfiltered post-mortem of the general election.
In a rare, candid exchange captured verbatim by Fiji Times chief reporter Robert Keith-Reid, Ratu Mara ruled out any possibility of a coalition government, voiced his disappointment in voters he said had ‘deceived’ the Alliance, and revealed plans to return to Lakeba to reflect. The following is part of the full transcript of that press encounter.
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara: I have no longer available to me the intelligence information available to me, I usually had as prime minister. So, I cannot say whether it has changed from the time I knew what it was. The last report I had during the election was that race relations could not have been better. This I cannot do.
Keith-Reid: Would you state as fully as possible why the Alliance is totally opposed to a coalition government with anybody?
Ratu Mara: First of all, we cannot compromise our principles. And if you are to form a coalition with any organisation you must compromise some of your principles.
Two, we feel that once we form a coalition with an Indian dominated party, Butadroka will have to form branches all over Fiji because Fijians will be flocking to his side.
Three, I have reached an eminent status here and the world through support of the very people who were there with me. With a coalition, I would say to those who failed: Thank you very much but I am going to deal with the one who defeated you in that constituency. This I cannot do. Four, we respect parliamentary institution, we have been defeated. We should go into opposition and we should not try to avoid going into opposition and play the role we think a good opposition should play. And the last one is that we have seen so much deception during the election of the number of Fijians and Indians who came through our sheds and then voted against us – it is too much to go and ask us to join them.
Q: (Radio Fiji): Do you think the National Federation Party with such a slim majority will form an effective government?
Ratu Mara: I have already stated if I have one I can govern this country, and quite efficiently. There are quite a number of prime ministers with the ability to do it. Mr Mintoff (Prime Minister of Malta) has been doing it for the last five years.
Keith-Reid: Is the party view on a coalition also now your personal view?
Ratu Mara: I have stated in the past when there was no firm line of policy, this was just after independence, and I thought at the time we should run this country during independence as a coalition. It was not accepted then. Then we fashioned out of our own efforts the lines of policy that were taken. We fashioned that, and having seen that succeed, and we are still satisfied in our minds that has succeeded, how can you now compromise?
Keith Reid: Was the delegate you saw yesterday from the NFP (when a coalition offer was made to the Alliance) Mr Ramrakha?
Ratu Mara: The delegate who saw me yesterday asked me if I could keep our meeting in confidence, and I must respect that.
Radio Fiji: Have you had any further contact from the Opposition Party?
Ratu Mara: I can only say that I have had some contact since yesterday. My party has discussed the proposition, and still no coalition.
Radio Fiji: The NFP meets later this afternoon. They may approach you after this meeting. Would you entertain their proposals?
Ratu Mara: I don’t think there is any possibility of that because Ratu Gavidi has joined them and Butadroka possibly joins them then they have the majority to run a government.
Keith Reid: Would you welcome a personal meeting with Mr Koya or Mr Ramrakha or Mrs Jai Narayan?
Ratu Mara: No. I don’t think I have any more time to talk about a coalition with anybody or anything else. What I would like to see that these people run this country as they have told people over the last 10 years, that they can do it better than we can do.
Keith Reid: You are no longer president of the ACP/EEC group?
Ratu Mara: That is correct.
Keith Reid: There is suggestion that Mr Koya might somehow ask you to somehow be the delegate there. Is that possible at all?
Ratu Mara: I was able to achieve the position of chairman of the council of ministers by virtue of the fact that I was the minister qualified to attend. Now that I am no longer a minister I have got no legal right to attend.
Keith Reid: Just to keep the flag flying – I think both parties have common ground as regards to that meeting – would you be prepared if invited by the Opposition to represent Fiji as their senior delegate, accept?
Ratu Mara: I sincerely hope that they will not make that proposition. I have got a lot of fences to mend. I think I will probably be going to Lakeba tomorrow.
Keith Reid: How long will you be there for?
Ratu Mara: Well, until next week, I think, we’ll come back and collect all the reports these people are sending in.
