Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry stated that he has not forgiven George Speight for the coup that took place in 2000, which resulted in the ousting of his government at gunpoint. When questioned about the possibility of accepting an apology from Speight if he were to offer one, Chaudhry declined to comment further, simply reiterating that his answer remained the same. He did express hope that with Speight now a free man, he might disclose the truth regarding the events of the coup.
In a related development, the political party Unity Fiji has expressed its support for Speight’s release from prison. However, party leader Savenaca Narube urged the public not to view the previous coups as acceptable actions. He emphasized that it is unjust that individuals like Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who were involved in earlier coups, have faced no repercussions and instead have held positions of power.
Narube remarked that all coups have resulted in the illegal disruption of democratically elected governments. He criticized the notion that the nation has rewarded the coup leaders with the prime ministership, questioning the fairness of such treatment. He highlighted the significant negative impacts of the coups, including loss of life, increased racial tensions, corruption, and economic struggles, asserting that Fiji’s economy could have been substantially more prosperous had the coups not occurred. Narube estimated that each coup could have cost the nation around $3 billion, not including the human toll, and lamented that the burdens of these past actions would continue to affect future generations. He stressed the importance of preventing any future coups.