UN General Assembly
2007

to the situation. For almost four years, I was strenuous in my efforts to constructively engage the elected leadership of the country, seeking to cause it to reverse its course of action, which was taking the country down the path of destruction into an abyss. The protracted efforts that I made to constructively engage with the previous Government came to no avail. On the contrary, a prominent High Chief connected to the ruling Soqosoqo Duavata Lewenivanua (SDL) party incited a mutiny within the military, and attempts were made not only to remove me, but also to eliminate me. It was with the utmost of reluctance that Fiji’s military, under my leadership, removed the former Government from power in December 2006. Many have criticized that decision. In response, I say this: Fiji has a coup culture, a history of civilian or military coups executed in the interests of a few and based on nationalism, racism and greed. In order to remove that coup culture and to make a commitment to democracy and the rule of law, policies which promote