'Brokenness': Former permanent secretary recalls 2006 upheaval

Former Ministry of Women permanent secretary Emele Duituturaga says the 2006 political upheaval left some public servants traumatised, cost them their jobs and changed their lives overnight.

Speaking during the Fiji Truth and Reconciliation Commission's roundtable discussion yesterday, Ms Duituturaga gave an emotional account of how the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) takeover affected her personally and the wider public service.

She recalled serving as permanent secretary for the Ministry of Women when a man dressed in military uniform entered the minister's office in 2006.

The minister was ordered to leave immediately and, days later, Ms Duituturaga said she too was removed from her position.

"For a woman leader, there is a huge sense of loneliness. Brokenness is the word," she said.

Ms Duituturaga said many public servants lived in fear during the political upheaval, with some forced to obey orders simply to protect themselves and the hundreds of workers who depended on them.

"When you have a gun pointed at your head, what do you do? You do what you're told to do," she said.

Despite the uncertainty, Ms Duituturaga said many permanent secretaries remained loyal to the people they served and worked to keep government services operating during one of Fiji's most difficult political periods.

She said political upheavals affect far more than governments.

"Politics doesn't just disrupt services. It takes over people's lives," she said.

Ms Duituturaga described public service as a human endeavour, where officers work every day with limited resources and support, only to have their lives overturned by political events.

She said many senior public servants lost their jobs when decrees terminated their contracts, leaving them with no legal avenue to challenge their dismissals.

Many also lost their homes and livelihoods and, she said, some never recovered from the trauma.

"We had no recourse. We couldn't go anywhere. We couldn't challenge what happened," she said.

Ms Duituturaga said the events removed an entire generation of experienced leaders from the public service.

"I think 2006 took out a whole cadre of leadership that held the country together in 1987 and in 2000. We were all taken out in 2006, which is why I believe the public service has never really recovered since then," she said.