(G) The "Road Map" and Events to 2014

Made your views known. To see Realfijinews poll on the speech, click here.

The PM's Address at the Tradewinds Convention Centre on Fiji’s Strategic Framework for Change, July 1 2009.

Click here to read in full from the official government website.

I know some readers will be disappointed at the lack of detail. It certainly wouldn't do as a military map, and it does seem to take a long time to get from A (now) to B (constitution, elections), but with the destination logged in and set on auto-pilot, the address suffices to show Government is serious about reform and elections in September 2014.

One might hope the international community, having given up on earlier elections, might sometime between now and then respond to Bainimarama's appeal for assistance. “I invite our international partners and relevant development agencies who are interested in facilitating the practicalities of the rule of law, creating transparency, facilitating access to justice and removing systematic corruption, to work with our Chief Justice, the Independent Legal Services Commission, the Legal Aid Commission and the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) respectively.”

Bainimarama said the "Government is committed on the need to facilitate the practicalities of the rule of law, creating transparency, facilitating access to justice and removing systematic corruption.”

Government is also concerned with law and order. PER (the public emergency regulations) are extended to the end of this year. "Some people with dirty political motives are awaiting the removal of the emergency regulations to organise a protest march against some government decisions."

My Summary of the Road Map (quotes from Bainimarama)

The first 3 years (2009-2012): a "period of immense change."

1. More efficient government (Government has already cut $190m from government expenditure from January-May this year). "Workers and civil servants of the country that they will be treated fairly" but Bainimarama said that "they have to become more efficient and productive."

• Divestment of Government shares and closure or amalgamation of non-performing department
• More outsourcing to the private sector
• Rewriting of town and country planning laws that impede development

2. Focus on implementing social and infrastructural needs:

• Strengthen "infrastructure and assist in building capacities within the judiciary."($500,000 extra already allocated)
• Continuing work on reducing corruption
• Upgrading police infrastructure: communications, transport, forensic tools
• "Seek to empower the marginalized and address areas of neglect."
• Develop "pro-growth and pro-poor" policies in co-operation with financial institutions and the private sector
• Laws on underage marriage and domestic violence

3. Tourism. Laucala Island Resort and Natadola Bay resorts completed. Ongoing work on Naisoro Island project. Hopeful sale of

2010. Implementation of Land Reforms. This will result in:

• Attractive rental returns to ordinary Fijian landowners (the present system skims off most rental money before it reaches the "grassroots" owners)
• More secure tenure for tenants; increased productive land use.
• The ownership of traditional Fijian land to remain unchanged.

“We cannot realise our potential in agriculture, improve the living conditions of the taukei (indigenous Fijians), if land is not made available on a long term, sustainable basis.”

2011. Nadarivatu hydroelectric power project (41.76mW) completed. Road improvements continue.

2012. Consultations with stakeholders on the Constitution.

"The impetus [will]from People's Charter recommendations" [but there will be further inputs] "Consultations shall be extensive and will not just be limited to political parties. It shall include civil society including non- governmental organizations and citizens of our country." Topics to be discussed with include:

• “Common and equal citizenship"
• New (racial-free) voting system
• Proposed new voting age at 18
• Size of parliament and terms of office
• Checks and balances on parliament
• A bi-cameral system (the old Senate)

"The new constitution must include provisions that will entrench common and equal citizenry, it must not have ethnic based voting; the voting age shall be 18; and it must have systems that hold elected governments accountable with more checks and balances."

2013. Constitution completed by September to "allow all Fijians and parliamentary candidates ample time to familiarise themselves with the new constitution."

• Constitution to be translated into the vernacular, and with a concise "pocket-size" version available.

2014. September. Elections.

Bainimrama concluded:

"My fellow citizens, your Excellencies what I am saying is that I and my Government have a vision to make Fiji realize its true potential – a potential that can be realized through building a strong nation state, by empowering all our citizens, by fixing up the decades of neglected infrastructure, by providing actual adherence to the principles of the rule of law, by putting in place sustainable institutions and laws that will create accountability, transparency, justice, fair play and modernity; by improving living standards and alleviating poverty; by putting in place a liberalized and level playing field economy."