Jone Baledrokadroka

Colonel Jone Baledrokadroka is a Fijian career soldier. Baledrokadroka, who joined the Army in 1981, was briefly the Acting Land Force Commander in January 2006. He was dismissed from this position on 13 January 2006, after only two days in the post, in which he oversaw Infantry Regiments, the Engineer's Regiment, the Logistics Support Unit, and the Forces Training Group. He was also in charge of United Nations peacekeeping missions. During the Nov 2000 attempted takeover of Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Baledrokadroka was Chief Staff Officer Operations and commanded the troops who put down the insurrection. Prior to his appointment as Acting Land Force Commander Baledrokadroka had attended the Defence and Strategic Studies Course at the Australian Defence College, Canberra during 2003. As with RFMF Commander, Baledrokadroka is an old boy of the Marist Brothers school in Suva.

Baledrokadroka's dismissal

* "See main article: Fiji crisis of 2005-2006; Baledrokadroka incident".

The Fiji Live news service reported on 12 January 2006 that Baledrokadroka had confronted the Military Commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, a harsh critic of some government policies, telling him to either submit to the authority of the government or else resign, but this was initially denied by Army spokesman Captain Neumi Leweni and later by Commodore Bainimarama. Bainimarama had been making increasingly strident pronouncements against certain government policies, including the early release of prisoners convicted of involvement in the Fiji coup of 2000, and had recently threatened to depose the government.

It was reported the next day that Baledrokadroka had been relieved of his command. "Fiji Live" reported that he had been ordered to go on leave until further notice; Bainimarama himself had taken over the command, effective immediately. His dismissal was confirmed by Military spokesman Captain Neumi Leweni and by Baledrokadroka himself, who told Fiji Television that he was on leave, pending resignation.

Baledrokadroka's version

Baledrokadroka told the Fiji Times on the 14th that he had resigned rather than obey a "treasonous" order of Bainimarama's. "An order posted on Sunday was hard for me to understand but eventually I deciphered it as being treasonous and I refused to obey it," he said. Bainimarama telephoned him, he claimed, and told him that he was to be dismissed. He initially refused to accept his dismissal, he claimed, until the charges against him were specified in writing.

This led to the crisis in the barracks on the morning of the 12th, he said. He claimed to have confronted the Commander and told him that his intentions were treasonous, and asked for his resignation. "I asked the commander for his resignation on the grounds that it was perfectly clear that he was going to commit treason ... I told him it was either he resign or I resign," an emotional Baleidrokadroka told the Times. The army should be apolitical, he insisted, and should uphold the rule of law, democracy, and the military profession. Democracy, he said, was fragile in Fiji, and needed to be strengthened. He denied that he had any political motive for resigning.

He denied claims by unnamed army sources that he had tried to stage a mutiny. "I am a professional soldier and I would not dream of such a thing," he said emphatically. The next day, he angrily denied claims made in a press conference by Bainimarama the day before that during their disagreement, he had threatened to shoot the Commander. "He has lied and he knows that he is lying," Baledrokadroka declared. "... I absolutely deny that I threatened violence against the Commander and I’m deeply shocked at the allegations."

Bainimarama's version

Fiji Village reported on 14 January that at a press conference held that afternoon, Commodore Bainimarama said that Baledrokadroka had been dismissed for insubordination and for failing the loyalty test of the Military. The command which Baledrokadroka had refused to obey had only been a test, which he had failed miserably, the Commander claimed. He had been willing to give Baledrokadroka another chance, he said, but Baledrokadroka had made matters worse by talking to the media. He accused Baledrokadroka of trying to elicit support from soldiers. Accordingly, the Military had "isolated" Baledrokadroka in his office and the Military's legal team had reasoned with him to persuade him not to attempt a mutiny. In a recent interview, Bainimarama had already told the "Review" magazine: "We will not allow our officers to sit on the fence anymore as they did in 2000."

Bainimarama was joined by Military spokesman Captain Neumi Leweni, who revealed that Military Police were now investigating the circumstances surrounding the barracks crisis that led to Baledrokadroka's resignation, and a Board of Inquiry had been set up.

Also joining Bainimarama was Lieutenant Colonel Etueni Caucau, his legal adviser. Baledrokadroka had "threatened" the Commander, Caucau told "Fiji Live", and had been confined to his office by other senior officers to prevent him from carrying out his threat. Baledrokadroka's claim to have outside support was what had prompted the closing and guarding of the barracks' gates, Caucau added.

Conspiracy theories

The Fiji Labour Party issued a statement on 14 January 2006 accusing Lesi Korovavala, the Chief Executive Officer of the Home Affairs Ministry, of having arranged a secret meeting between Baledrokadroka and Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, in an attempt to depose Bainimarama.

A New Zealand newspaper, the Sunday Star-Times, reported on 15 January 2006 that Baledrokadroka is the brother of Senator Adi Lagamu Vuiyasawa, the de-facto wife of Ratu Inoke Takiveikata, the "Qaranivalu" (Paramount Chief) of Naitasiri, who is serving a life sentence for his role in an army mutiny at Suva's Queen Elizabeth Barracks on 2 November 2000. The "Sunday Star-Times" queried the omission of this information from Fiji's newspapers, and mentioned that several witnesses implicated Baledrokadroka himself in the uprising, notwithstanding that he himself, as commander of the Army Engineers and the Third Battalion, led the charge to crush it. Four loyal soldiers were killed in the fighting.

Investigation

Military spokesman Captain Neumi Leweni announced on 20 January that four senior army officers had been appointed the day before to investigate the alleged mutiny plot. The four officers would not be named until they had completed their work, Leweni said. Fiji Village reported on 13 March that charges of insubordination and mutiny would be laid against Baledrokadroka and two alleged accomplices, and that a court martial would be arranged.

Commissioner of Prisons application

On 27 September, Military spokesman Major Neumi Leweni condemned Baledrokadroka's short-listing for the position of Commissioner of Prisons. Baledrokadroka was "charged with a very serious offence," Leweni said, and was therefore not a suitable candidate for the position.

Personal life

Balerokadroka is the son of the late Ratu Alipate Baledrokadroka, a former Senator and Chief from northern Naitasiri, who held the title of "Turaga Taukei ni Waluvu." His mother was a native of Lasakau, on Bau Island.