The Two Coups of 1987
- See main article: Fiji coups of 1987
In April 1987, a coalition led by Dr Timoci Bavadra, an ethnic Fijian who was nevertheless supported mostly by the Indo-Fijian community, won the general election and formed Fiji's first majority Indian government, with Dr Bavadra serving as prime minister. After less than a month in office, Dr Bavadra was forcibly removed from power during a military coup led by Lt. Col. Sitiveni Rabuka on 14 May 1987. Rabuka had served with the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Lebanon.
After a period of continued jockeying and negotiation, Rabuka staged a second coup on 25 September 1987. The military government revoked the constitution and declared Fiji a republic on 10 October, the seventeenth anniversary of Fiji's independence from the United Kingdom. This action, coupled with protests by the government of India, led to Fiji's expulsion from the Commonwealth and official nonrecognition of the Rabuka regime by foreign governments, including Australia and New Zealand. On 6 December, Rabuka resigned as head of State, and the former governor-general, Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau, was appointed the first president of the Fijian Republic. Mara was reappointed prime minister, and Rabuka became minister of home affairs.
Read more about this topic: Politics Of Fiji