David Prashker's World Hourglass: Fiji

First draft: Another of the world’s great beauty-spots that human beings have done their utmost to ruin. More than eight hundred coral islands, large numbers of them volcanic, both prove and disprove the concept of intelligent design, though it isn’t God’s creative and destructive tendencies that are ruining the tourist trade. That started with a coup by indigenous Fijians in 1987, tired of an Indian-led government that they had themselves elected, and was followed by the writing of a new constitution, and then the withdrawal of the same, which would have ensured that only indigenous Fijians could serve in government. It wouldn’t have helped anyway. In 2000 a businessman named George Speight staged another coup, held the Prime Minister – the first Indian to hold the office – hostage, with his cabinet, and several other MPs, for several weeks. Six years later the military decided they were the best equipped to manage a properly meaningful democracy, and staged another coup, which led to Fiji being suspended from the Commonwealth. At the time of writing (August 2014) elections are just a month away. They were promised by the military in 2009, but these things take time, and stability and harmony in a divided society cannot be rushed. It also required a new constitution, and time to work out how to prevent the leader of the Labour Party, and numbers of other nominated candidates, from standing, while still maintaining the pretence of free and fair. We shall see.

Second draft: And indeed, elections there most certainly were, the government providing its own website, and Frank Bainimarama's FijiFirst party coming out with just enough of a majority to govern, but not so much that it looks rigged. Rigged? Did I suggest there might have been malpractice? Not in the slightest, according to the official report of the Supervisor of Elections. Yes, but the Supervisor of Elections was appointed by the man who staged the military coup in 2006 and ran the country for the next eight years, until at last there was this free and fair election. His name? Why, Frank Bainimarama of course.

The victory, and the constitution that was created in 2013, ensures that Fiji is now assured of readmittance to the Commonwealth, though there are rumours that it now wishes to remove the Union flag, symbol of the UK's original leadership of the Commonwealth, from its own flag.