Book Review : The people have spoken : the 2014 elections in Fiji

Abstract

Small states are much more likely to be democratic than large ones but the Pacific island state of Fiji, which experienced military coups in 1987, 2001 and 2006, has long been an exception to this global trend. What makes the Fiji case especially interesting, however, is that despite the prevailing ‘coup culture’, democracy invariably returns to the islands. Stephanie Lawson and Steve Ratuva’s book The people have spoken provides a timely analysis of Fiji’s first election since the 2006 coup with contributions from a wide array of fields. As the title suggests, the people of Fiji spoke at the ballot box and handed the incumbent military ruler turned Fiji First Party (FFP) leader, Voreqe Frank Bainimarama, a landslide victory. In capturing the issues, events and trends that emerged in 2014, the book also sheds important light on the post-colonial history of this small state.