Fiji Labour Party Leader and former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, commemorates the late Dr. Tupeni Baba as a steadfast source of strength and reassurance to his colleagues during the tumultuous events of 2000.
Reflecting on Dr. Baba’s passing, Chaudhry remarked that as his Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Baba maintained communication through notes and offered his opinion and advice on pivotal matters.
Chaudhry highlighted that Dr. Baba was a founding member of the Fiji Labour Party, serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Labour-led Government in 1999.
Additionally, Dr. Baba held the position of Labour’s Minister for Education, Youth, and Sports in the Bavadra Government of 1987, which was ousted after just a month in Fiji’s first coup d’état led by Sitiveni Rabuka.
Dr. Baba later left the Fiji Labour Party to establish the New United Labour Party, contesting the 2001 general election.
He was a hostage in the coups of both 1987 and 2000. On May 14, 1987, Lt. Col Rabuka took him captive and placed him under house arrest for six days alongside Dr. Bavadra and other Cabinet members. During the 2000 coup, he was held at gunpoint for 56 days with Prime Minister Chaudhry and other ministers.
“In both coups, Dr. Baba displayed outstanding courage and resilience, refusing to succumb to the intimidation of armed soldiers,” Chaudhry stated.
“During the 2000 hostage crisis, despite being separated along racial lines and kept in different locations, Dr. Baba managed to keep me updated on developments,” added Chaudhry.
He described Dr. Baba as having an approachable, pleasant personality and being a strong advocate for social justice. Notably, Dr. Baba did not participate in the 1992 and 1994 elections under the racially discriminatory 1990 Constitution.
“Dr. Baba made significant contributions during Labour’s early years and will be remembered for the legacy he left behind,” Chaudhry noted.
“On behalf of the Fiji Labour Party, I extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife Dr. Unaisi Nabobo-Baba and the rest of his family,” concluded Chaudhry.