Apisai Tora - Alleged Involvement in The 2000 Coup

Alleged Involvement in The 2000 Coup

In August 2005, Tora spoke out to defend his role in the Taukei Movement of 2000. He insisted that it was never the intention of the movement to overthrow the Chaudhry government, but another group had taken advantage of its march to engage in vandalism.

In an angry reaction on 24 August, Commodore Bainimarama accused Tora of using fear to influence voters in the upcoming election by threatening instability if indigenous Fijian parties do not win. Bainimarama said that Tora himself has a case to answer for his activities during the 2000 crisis. 'In 2000, Apisai Tora and a group of people at the Fijian Holdings boardroom, requested me as commander of the Military to remove Tui Vuda, Ratu Iloilo - whilst he was just a week in the Presidency," Bainimarama alleged. "If he claims to be fighting for indigenous Fijian rights then he should explain to the general public why he tried to remove the Tui Vuda who is a chief of his province."

Bainimarama also accused Tora of using smokescreens to deceive the people. "Senator Tora is using land and fisheries issues to stir up emotions in the people ... (but) the land always was Fijians and will remain theirs," he asserted. He said that Tora and others like him were lying to the people and had to be stopped.

Tora immediately denied the allegations. He said that the meeting to which the Commander referred took place before Iloilo's inauguration as President, not after, and that Commodore Bainimarama must be confused. He said he was preparing a written document to defend himself, a statement that would "surprise" the commander, he said.

Meanwhile, Tora has been harshly criticized for his alleged involvement in the plot against President Iloilo by fellow-Senator Ponipate Lesavua (of the opposition Labour Party) and by Ratu Epeli Ganilau, founder of the National Alliance Party, former Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs, and son of the late President Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau. Both expressed shock at the revelations, and Ganilau said they proved that the 2000 coup had nothing to do with indigenous Fijian rights and everything to do with selfish personal agendas, for which the Fijian people were unwittingly used.

In a statement on 29 August, Tora emphatically denied having taken part in any meeting at the Fijian Holdings boardroom where the proposal to remove President Iloilo was allegedly discussed. Tora said that the Military commander himself had forced the resignation of Iloilo's presidential predecessor, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara on 29 May 2000, and that it was therefore "absurd" for him to accuse others of plotting against Iloilo. He said that Commodore Bainimarama was calling the reputation of the Military into disrepute, and called on him to resign and allow "a real army man" to take over and restore the honour of the Military.

Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Orisi Rabukawaqa rejected Tora's criticism of Bainimarama, saying that the commander had the full support of his troops.

On 31 August, Tora defended his racial rhetoric, saying that racial politics was a fact of life in Fiji and that people needed to face that reality. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Qarase came out supporting Tora's version of the alleged plot against President Iloilo in 2000. Qarase said that he was at the meeting at which the request to remove Iloilo was alleged to have been made, and that no such question had ever come up.