The Fiji Times reports Fiji's suspension from the Commonwealth is "just hours away" but has not produced the result wanted: "reactivating the President's political dialogue forum in a manner which is independent, inclusive, time-bound and has no pre-determined outcome, and with a view to having national election by October 2010." Instead, "army commander* Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama"will proceed with Government's "Strategic Framework for Change - which places general elections in five years' time "before September 2014".
A Ministry of Information spokesman said former president Ratu Josefa Iloilo had mandated Bainimarama "to put in place various socio-economic, political and legal reforms before elections are held in September 2014" [and that this was] "the only path to ensuring sustainable and true democracy, the removal of communal representation and the implementation of equal suffrage based on common and equal citizenry".
Fiji Live quoted Foreign Affairs Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola as saying the suspension deadline had become irrelevant after the Commonwealth responded to Bainimarama’s invitation for dialogue, by agreeing to send Sir Paul Reeves. Bainimarama has invited Sir Paul to visit Fiji between September 9-11 "in the hope that the Commonwealth will have a better understanding of the situation in Fiji after the visit and give a favourable report to CMAG’s next meeting in New York on September 26."
Government spokesman Lt.Col. Neumi Leweni has made it clear though that the Bainimarama government will stick to its agenda.“It is actually up to them whether they want to go ahead with the ultimatum or not, but as far as government is concerned, whatever is in the roadmap - that’s it,” Leweni said. Fiji’s roadmap to “sustainable democracy” involves reforms leading up to elections in 2014.
* This is the newspaper's first political news in over a week. It's bad news of course, and the Times continues to express its political opinion by referring to Bainimarama as the army commander (which he is not) and not Prime Minister, which he is, like it or not.
P.S. Fiji Times editor Netani Rika, presently on a lecture tour in Australia has told audiences censors have prevented the publication of "major news stories." He also says he has received a threatening email he's taking seriously.
Forum Samoa II Runs Aground
An elderly clairvoyant in Cakaudrove is rumoured to have predicted the grounding of the container ship on the reef off Apia, following Samoa's role in Fiji's suspension from the Forum. There are so many rumours circulating in Fiji at the moment, it's hard to know what to believe. I'm told some of the rumours are pure inventions.
Paradise Lost for Fiji Investors
The NZHerald reports on three big New Zealand-funded developments that are in trouble: the Strategic Finance-backed Fiji Beach Resort & Spa managed by Hilton, the Bridgecorp-funded mammoth Momi Bay, and the Strategic-funded 650ha development parcel known as Denarau Land South. All three are on Denarau Island, fast becoming a ghetto for the cash-strapped of New Zealand as tens of millions of dollars vanish.The island, seen by many as the key to unlocking Fiji's wealth, has a string of international resorts and hotels as well as the redeveloped Port Denarau with its shops and restaurants. The port is the gateway to Fiji's beautiful Mamanuca and Yasawa island groups and Denarau is a congregation point where tourists from Nadi Airport reach the islands' clear warm waters.
But political coups, the disastrous January floods, fierce cyclones, the global downturn and its tourism backlash have taken a toll. Bridgecorp and Strategic are calling in loans on Denarau Island properties they funded to the tune of about $200 million. Developers are struggling and investors are hurting, with Hilton villa owners owed more than $1 million and split into bitter factions. [The Fiji National Provident Fund, not mentioned in the article, stands to lose at least F$40m on the unfinished Momi project, following a not very successful auction held last week.
3 comments:
Croz, what relevance does clairvoyance have for this blog? I hope you've note turned to perusing the tea leaves as your basis for commenting on Fiji!
Seriously, when presented with a "do it by 1 September or get expelled" most would ensure that the date of their "please visit Fiji to discuss" was prior to the due by date rather than two weeks after. The fact that the PM did not do this is further evidence of his unwillingness to be responsive to the demands of the international community. If he wants to thumb his nose at them, then he's going at it in exactly the right way. If he wants to engage, then he's seriously out of step.
cheers
"Interested but Sceptical"
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My understanding is that earlier invitations were not convenient to one or the other party. Clairvoyance? There were three items in this post. Clairvoyance was in the second one, and was written with tongue in cheek. I promise to stay away from the tea leaves!
It is past midnight now in Fiji as I write, and my understanding is that we are now suspended from the "common-greed". We have been down this path before, what is the difference? Well, let us show them the difference now. Let us talk to them in the language that they understand. Get the Chinese in, let's have an Israel in the pacific. Remember the 6 day war?????
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