taking advantage of the famous Cakobau name to make unilateral decisions that were beyond his authority. The public disagreement between Cakobau and Sivo appeared to be related to a wider debate about the policies and effectiveness of the party as a member of the ruling coalition. Without naming particular individuals, Sivo criticized certain colleagues on the CAMV executive on 17 September of being too subservient to the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua, the dominant partner in the ruling coalition. The party should have pushed for the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill three years ago, Sivo said. The controversial legislation, promoted by the government in 2005, proposed to establish a commission empowered to compensate victims and pardon perpetrators of the 2000 coup, many of whom were supporters of the CAMV. Policies The CAMV contested the 2001 election on a platform calling for a greater emphasis on indigenous rights and the proclamation of Christianity (the faith of most ethnic Fijians, but relatively few Indo-Fijians), as the official religion of Fiji. Officially, the party accepts the 1997 Constitution, calling it "a workable document," but in practice many of its elected representatives have strongly criticised it. Despite its strongly nationalist image, reinforced by the arrest and conviction of many of its members for participation in the 2000 coup, the CAMV claims to espouse nonracial policies. The party President, Ratu Tanoa Cakobau, said on 8 June 2005 that anybody respected by the population could be Prime Minister, regardless of his or her race or status. He said this in response to a comment from Poseci Bune, Deputy Leader of the Fiji Labour Party, that the country should be ready for a non-indigenous Prime Minister. Merger with SDL Party President Ratu Tanoa Cakobau announced on 9 February 2006 that the party would contest Fijian communal and open constituencies in the upcoming election. In another development, however, it was announced on 16 February 2006 that the party would be deregistering, in order to merge with the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL) ahead of the elections. Fiji Television reported on 20 February that a letter alleged to have been written by Ratu Tanoa Cakobau had requested that the six CAMV parliamentarians be endorsed, unopposed, as SDL candidates. The SDL confirmed having received letter, written in Fijian and addressed to Prime Minister Qarase and to the SDL President, but Cakobau said that some portions of it were not authentic; his