Did Eveli Nailatikau fulfil the criteria for the office of President?

Section 3A of the Executive Authority of Fiji (Amendment) Decree states, if the Office of the President becomes vacant, the Chief Justice, acting on the advice and nomination of Cabinet, shall appoint another person to become President.

In advising the Chief Justice, Cabinet shall ensure the person nominated to be appointed as the President must be a citizen who has had a distinguished career in any aspect of national or international life, whether in the public or private sector.

Bainimarama whilst recommending Eveli Nailatikau claims he met the criteria of having ‘had a distinguished career in any aspect of national or international life.’

One question that comes to mind is how can the Chief Justice who appoints the President upon the advice of Cabinet be the same person who swears them into office?

What kind of ‘distinguished career in any aspect of national or international life’ has Eveli Nailatikau had? A distinguished career is one that was illustrious, eminent, notable, famous, famed, well-known, renowned, great, prominent or celebrated and by measuring his career history against these criteria, will show us whether he truly has fulfilled this criteria?

The Cabinet Release states Bainimarama saying Epeli Nailatikau, meets the criteria provided in section 3A(2) of the Decree as he is a person who has had a distinguished public service career nationally, as well internationally, but does not provide any evidence to substantiate his claim.

Remember Eveli Nailatikau was Commander of the Fiji Military Forces when Rabuka sacked him from his post via his 1987 coup. Rabuka was more popular than he with the general Fijian populace that his own mother-in-law, the late Roko Tui Dreketi recommended to the Great Council of Chiefs that Rabuka be made a Life Peer of this august body, which the Great Council of Chiefs fully endorsed.

Eveli Nailatikau’s career as Army Commander or as a Civil Servant was far from being distinguished and at best was mediocre, which is defined as average, ordinary, middle of the road, run of the mill, second-rate, pedestrian or commonplace.

It’s obvious to all who are familiar with the intricacies of Fijian politics that no children of Fiji’s modern Founding Fathers ever had a distinguished career in any aspect of national or international life, whether in the public or private sector.

Their insatiable lust for power is well-known to the point, they willingly prostituted themselves upon the altar of lawlessness to be used by unscrupulous people by supporting the removal of PM Qarase and the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution.

It’s sad to see them content to eat off the crumbs from Bainimarama’s table, such as accepting token positions within the illegal regime including that of President, but was this always going to be their fate?