Fijian politics, already suffering from a risk that the governing coalition could fall apart, now faces the further danger that the opposition party, which would lead an alternative government, is also suffering a severe split. …
Articles by: "Richard Herr"
The surprise signing of the Australia–Tuvalu Falepili Union agreement at the recent Pacific Islands Forum has been touted as a pathbreaking development in Australia’s Pacific relations. It is hugely significant, but, on closer inspection, this …
It will surprise some, and disappoint others, that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s new policy statement on international aid has drawn so little apparent interest from its intended beneficiaries. Australia’s Pacific neighbours should …
Almost inconceivably, the fact that the parliament of Fiji has been without an opposition for weeks has largely escaped the attention of the international media. Yet all 26 parliamentary members of Frank Bainimarama’s FijiFirst party …
Contrary to some media reports, Fijian opposition leader Frank Bainimarama’s three-year suspension from parliament was not for an act of sedition. Rather, he was excluded from service to the parliament for something more prosaic—using unparliamentary …
The spectre of Fiji’s ‘coup culture’ continues to loom over the republic despite the peaceful transfer of power on Christmas Eve 2022. That this occurred was due, in part, to Commander Major General Ro Jone …
When is a coup not a coup? When it’s called a constitutional crisis. But make no mistake, there’s a coup attempt in progress in Fiji, even if its foot soldiers are in the bureaucracy and …
Election posters often show something useful about the intensity and range of partisan feeling in the community on the eve of an election. Having been an election night analyst for more than three decades, I …
When the White House announced that President Joe Biden will host the US – Pacific Island Country Summit on 28–29 September, it noted that it’s the ‘first ever’ such meeting. This both focused attention on …
The state funeral of a respected international leader is always a solemn event but inevitably also an occasion for an impromptu summit. Certainly, a wide range of issues including the war in Ukraine, the global …
In ordinary circumstances, the opportunity to celebrate the Pacific Islands Forum’s 50-year contribution to Pacific regionalism would be expected to dominate next week’s leaders’ meeting in Fiji. However, had circumstances been normal, the half-century anniversary …
The timing of China’s announcement that it had sealed its controversial security agreement with Solomon Islands is significant, but not for the reason claimed by Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews. Beijing was more concerned that …