Sakai, Sevanaia (2015) Insecurity of Taukei land as an issue in the 2014 General Election: real threat or Political Gimmick? Journal of Pacific Studies, 35 (2). pp. 42-64. ISSN 1011-3029
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Abstract
The 2014 General Election returned Fiji to democratic government after almost eight years of
military-backed government rule. As in other Pacific Island countries, issues of customary or native
land generate critical debate before and during national elections because of the cultural, social
and economic significance of land. Interwoven with these important factors is ethnicity and in this
case the Taukei (indigenous people) and non-Taukei that have had different land rights in terms of
accessibility, use and ownership as regulated by the Native Land Act. The 2014 General Election
campaign was significant because for the first time political parties, especially the Social Democratic
Liberal Party (SODELPA) and FijiFirst Party (FFP) campaigned vigorously on the decrees pertaining
to land that had been introduced by the interim government to win the approval of voters, especially
Taukei. After a brief discussion of the cultural importance of land to the Taukei, this article evaluates
whether the SODELPA or FFP party manifestoes relating to land issues appealed more to Taukei voters during the general election.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | J Political Science > JF Political institutions (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) > School of Government, Development and International Affairs |
| Depositing User: | Sevanaia Sakai |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Dec 2015 02:21 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Feb 2024 22:22 |
| URI: | https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/8613 |
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