Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry has stated that he has not forgiven George Speight for the 2000 coup that ousted his government at gunpoint. When questioned about the possibility of accepting an apology from Speight, Chaudhry declined to provide further comments, reiterating that he had already answered the inquiry. However, he expressed hope that now that Speight is a free man, he would come forward with the truth regarding the events surrounding the coup.
In related news, the political party Unity Fiji has welcomed Speight’s release from prison. Party leader Savenaca Narube warned Fijians against normalizing other coups in the country’s history. Narube highlighted the perceived injustice that other coup leaders, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, have been allowed to assume positions of power, effectively being ‘rewarded’ for their actions.
Narube emphasized that all coups have illegally disrupted democratically elected governments, asserting that while Speight has served his time, his counterparts have not faced similar consequences. He lamented that the nation has suffered immensely due to the coups, including significant loss of life, racial tensions, corruption, and economic struggles. Narube estimated that the financial toll of each coup could be around $3 billion, not accounting for the human cost, and warned that future generations will continue to bear these burdens. He stressed the importance of preventing future coups to protect the nation’s prosperity.