Joseph Browne

Joseph Browne is a Fijian civil servant, who was Official Secretary to the late President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, prior to Mara's possibly forced resignation during the insurrection which deposed the constitutional government in 2000. He is now the head of the Immigration Department.

Related Topics:
Fiji - Civil servant - President - Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara - Insurrection - 2000

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Browne has denied claims that he participated in planning or executing Mara's resignation. On 28 2000, Mara was evacuated to a naval vessel, ostensibly for his own protection following orchestrated threats to himself and his family. This followed a report from the Director of the Police Special Branch, Berenado Daveta, based on intelligence gathered from an undercover agent working among the insurrectionists. The following day, a group including Browne, military commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Great Council of Chiefs Chairman and former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Police Commissioner Colonel Isikia Savua, and Mara's son-in-law, Ratu Epeli Ganilau, a former military commander, visited Mara aboard the vessel, presented a tabua (whale's tooth) in a formal apology, and asked him to abrogate the Constitution. Mara refused, and resigned. It is not clear to what extent the members of the delegation all knew why they were there. Mara was convinced that Rabuka and Savua had conspired against him, while Ganilau has said that he stayed on "as a witness." Browne has emphatically denied any prior knowledge of the purpose of the visit to the warship.

Related Topics:
28 - 2000 - Naval - Berenado Daveta - The following day - Military - Commodore - Frank Bainimarama - Great Council of Chiefs - Chairman - Prime Minister - Sitiveni Rabuka - Police Commissioner - Colonel - Isikia Savua - Ratu Epeli Ganilau - Tabua - Constitution

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Browne spoke out against military participation in Mara's funeral, which spanned three days (28-30 April 2004), saying that it was "the height of hypocrisy" to have military officers, who had unceremoniously deposed the President from office, honouring him at his funeral.

Related Topics:
28 - 30 April - 2004

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Browne has also expressed scepticism about the Doctrine of Necessity pleaded by the officers as their justification for asking Mara to resign, saying that only a court of law could validate the Doctrine of Necessity. He has revealed that in a letter he wrote to Ratu Mara after the appointment of Ratu Josefa Iloilo as his successor, he said that his removal from office had been "treasonous."

Related Topics:
Doctrine of Necessity - Ratu Josefa Iloilo

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Browne has said that he has had his reputation battered and his integrity questioned by claims that he was a party to a coup against the late President.

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