Fiji's Move into the 21st Century

In early 1987, the Fiji Visitors Bureau's slogan was ‘Fiji, the way the world should be’. There was good reason for stating this because Fiji appeared to have made the successful transition from a colonial state of Britain, to an independent country with apparent harmonious relations within the multi-cultural society that exists in Fiji. This was however to change in May 1987 and then again in September with two military coups, there raison d'etre being the imposition of indigenous paramouncy. The country however, appeared to have recovered with an internationally hailed revised constitution in 1997, which resulted in the election of a Fijian of Indian descent becoming Prime Minister in 1999. However, once again Fiji had an attempted coup a year later, which regardless of its success or not, has succeeded in deposing the elected government of 1999. This chapter explores the chronology and possible causes for this state of affairs along with other determinants of the psychological well being of Fiji islanders.