Joseph Browne (born April 14, 1948) is a

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

, who was Official Secretary to the late

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, prior to Mara's possibly forced resignation during the insurrection which deposed the constitutional government in 2000. He had first been employed by Mara in 1985 when the latter was still

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

, and had remained with him through the various offices he held, including the Vice-Presidency and Presidency. He is now the head of the Immigration Department. Browne has denied claims that he participated in planning or executing Mara's resignation. On 29 May 2000, Mara was evacuated to the RFNS ''Kiro'', 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. Browne has said that he agreed to the President's evacuation because he was suspicious of troop movements at Government House. The following day, a group including Browne,

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

commander Commodore

Frank Bainimarama Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama (Fijian: ʃoˈsɛia βoˈreŋɡe mbɛiniˈmarama born 27 April 1954) is a Fijian politician and former naval officer who served as the prime minister of Fiji from 2007 until 2022. A member of the FijiFirst ...

, Great Council of Chiefs

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

and former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Police Commissioner

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

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 A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

. 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, but told Fiji News on 30 April 2001 that he understood why Mara might have suspected his loyalty. The previous day, Mara had told Fiji Television that he had no idea why Browne had asked him to agree to be evacuated. 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. Browne also expressed scepticism about the

doctrine of necessity The doctrine of necessity is the basis on which extra-constitutional actions by administrative authority, which are designed to restore order or attain power on the pretext of stability, are considered to be lawful even if such an action contrave ...

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." 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. Browne is from Somosomo village, Taveuni. He is the son of Adi Losalini Browne, a sister of the late President and Tui Cakau -

Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu Ganilau (28 July 1918 – 15 December 1993) was the first President of Fiji, serving from 8 December 1987 until his death in 1993. He had previously served as Governor-General of Fiji, representing Elizabeth II, Que ...

References

External links

"10 things about Joseph Browne"
''Fiji Times'', May 18, 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Browne, Joseph Living people Fijian civil servants People from Taveuni 1948 births I-Taukei Fijian people Fijian people of British descent