(-) Electoral Reform Not About Racial Justice: Narsey

USP's Professor Wadan Narsey has an article on this topic in Pacific Scoop, and a second instalment is to follow.

I believe some of his analysis and deductions are flawed, and shall argue along these lines when his second instalment is published.

Fiji's future political alternatives need to be publicly debated in Fiji's media, and not be limited to blogs and websites published from overseas. Unless Government is privy to information not generally known, the Emergency Regulations need to be lifted and the President's Political Dialogue Forum reconvened very soon. How else can there be constructive feedback on the Government's intended reforms? Meanwhile, check out Wadan's argument. Photo: USP.

IF DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT VOTING, WHY HAVE YOU NOT VOTED?
SEE LEFTHAND COLUMN -- PUBLIC POLLS ON FIJI'S POLITICAL SITUATION, AND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THIS BLOG?

Chaudhry's FLP on the Commonwealth Suspension, But Where's the FLP's"Road Map"?

The Fiji Labour Party website reveals something of Mahendra Chaudhry's thinking. He sees Fiji's Commonwealth expulsion as regrettable (but is heartened it will remain engaged in seeking an early return to constitutional rule); largely symbolic (because little technical aid is involved, although Fiji's young people will miss out on the Delhi Games) -- but it does send a "clear message" to Bainimarama to reconvene the President’s Political Dialogue Forum and hold elections by October next year.

In awaiting the arrival of the Commonwealth special representative, Sir Paul Reeves, this week, Chaudhry lists the things the Government needs to do: include the SDL and FLP in discussions; reconvene the PPDF; and re-examine its roadmap.

He has no list of the things his party (and the SDL) need to do. Which is a pity because positive FLP (and SDL) roadmaps just might produce a positive Bainimarama response. The FLP and the SDL need to spell out what they have learnt from the past six years, and what they plan to do to correct the situation that led to Bainimamama's ascendancy and the 2006 Coup.

If they don't, they could find themselves excluded from discussions with Sir Paul, and from the PPDF, and that would not be good for Fiji. Constructive dialogue requires concessions by BOTH sides. Unfortunately, for the moment, Chaudhry's vision of the future seems to be a return to the past. Illustration: FLP logo.

High Noon Quiz Answers 3

[Please see Quiz 1 for infomation.]

1. Revs Tomasi Kanailagi and Manasa Lasaro;2. Archbishop Petero Mateca; 3. Horowhenua; 4. Post to a friend; 5. Cairns Forum meeting.

6. 1874 and 1970; 7. Burebasaga, Kubuna,Tovata; 8. Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau and Ratu Enele Ma'afu; 9. Sir Arthur Gordon; 10. Leonidas.

This will be the last quiz. I presume some readers have looked at them but no one has submitted an answer. There seems to be insufficient interest to continue.

(oB) Fijian Commoner 'Should Be Free': CAMV

Politics, especially politics in a small-scale society where personal loyalties and pride are often more important that ideologies and policies, are never simple. I've sometimes wondered whether this is why Fiji bloggers of opposing persuasions first insult and then pray for each other. Today's enemies could be tomorrow's friends, and vice versa, so it's wise to cover your bets.

There have always been shifting alliances within and between Fiji's political parties, and chiefs (often from the same family), business people, academics and civil rights leaders stand on both sides of Fiji's present political divide. But now we have developments and alliances that only six months ago seemed impossible. Two weeks ago we saw old enemies Qarase and Chaudhry unite in a letter to Bainimarama. I put the letter down to a publicity stunt but there could also be real substance in what I called their "arranged marriage."

Now there's an even more amazing development. The extreme Fijian nationalist party, the Conservative Alliance Matanitu Vanua (CAMV), is apparently backing the Bainimarama Government whose politices most certainly do not support extreme Fijian nationalism.

Read more...
A little background is necessary. The Conservative Alliance Matanitu Vanua party (CAMV) was formed by high-ranking chiefs and others (Rev.Manasa Lasaro attended the inaugural meeting!) who supported or were involved in the 2000 Coup, so that a party with policies similar to the plotters could contest the 2001 election. Their platform included obtaining amnesty for the coup plotters and mutineers, ensuring the President and PM would always be ethnic Fijians, affirmative action programmes for Fijians, and turning Fiji into a Christian nation. They won six seats in the election and Qarase's SDL party needed their support to ensure ethnic Fijian parliamentary paramountcy.

Prior to the 2006 election the CAMV dissolved and merged with the SDL. Following the SDL election victory they were given the speaker's chair and several ministries, and the government's promotion of the Tolerance and Reconciliation Bill that would have freed those imprisoned for treason, the Qoliqoli and the Indigenous Claims Tribunal Bills (see earlier posting) and affirmative action programmes.


Now step back a little. After the failure of the 2000 Coup, thanks to military intervention, Bainimarama had backed Qarase's appointment as interim PM and later as PM on the understanding the coup plotters and military mutineers would not escape justice, and legislation would be pursued to build a united Fiji. It was Qarase's breach of this understanding that prompted the 2006 military coup. Bainimarama felt betrayed.

The decision prior to the 2006 election to dissolve the CAMV and merge with the SDL had not been unanimous. Ropate Sivo opposed the decision and it is Sivo who has sought re-registration of the CAMV. He says he wants Fijian commoners to be free of their obligations to chiefs, hence his backing of Bainimarama's proposed reform of the Fijian Affairs Act. He is also backing the proposed electoral reforms and the People's Charter. Sivo said “CAMV supports the Prime Minister’s roadmap to build a sustainable and accountable democratic system by 2014”.

Just how much the CAMV has changed -- and how many more changes we may expect as the different Fiji "factors and actors" reassess their positions in an ever-changing Fiji -- is too early to say, but this new development points to unexpected and increased support for Bainimarama (contrary to Dr Fraenkel's view in an ealier post) and contrary to the general overseas view of Fiji as a country where complex problems can be resolved with simple solutions. -- Sivo report based on FijiLive.

Map: Fijian Communal Electorates 2001. The CAMV took 5 (all of Vanua Levu and Tailevu North); the SDL took the other 12. The CAMV also won one Open electorate, Cakaudrove West. Source: Walsh 2006: Fiji: an Encyclopaedic Atlas.

Media Censorship Easing; Methodists ; Tourism Hurting; Howard's Law Office Break-in

Netani Rika, Editor of The Fiji Times

Photo: The younger Netani when interviewed for the USP student journalism paper Wansolwara in April 2002, several years before the 2006 military coup.

Before you read the whole interview and the posting that follows, here are three answers he gave to the student journalist's questions:


How do you reconcile having an opinion column and being deputy editor of your own newspaper?
A good journalist is able to separate himself or herself from personal opinion and the newspapers, and also what is hard news and what is opinion. And you should be able to write a hard news story even though you disagree with the opinion of those who are stating their opinion in your story--2002.

What kinds of responses do you get from different people, people on the streets, politicians, other journalists?
Hate, fear, envy, respect. Over the course of writing there have been threats against me, threats against the newspaper, and threats against my family.

What motivates you to write your column?
Social justice, intense desire for a unified nation. For people to be united we must, I think, realise first that we are different. We are different, there’s no denying that, but in these differences there should be unity in diversity.

(+) Signs that Fiji Media Censorship Easing for Some
RNZI reports that daily censorship has ceased on all daily papers other than the Fiji Times. Given editor Netani Rika's continuing hostile comments about the Government, and his totally unsubstantiated claims that past and recent personal threats come from the Government, not to mention the Fiji Times' record of hostility and biased reporting (see my other posts by using "Search this Blog" Fiji Times), I would expect the censorship to continue.

His latest claim is that a threat written by a visitor to a pro-government blogsite was from Government. It is far more likely Government knows nothing about the threat. It could be by a Government supporter -- or even by an anti-Government person seeking to incriminate Government. If readers wish to peruse blogs for really venomous personal threats, try the anti-government blog sites.

Read more...

I sympathise with Rika but he needs to find a new way of holding to the principles he espoused in 2002 and be able to persuade Government to remove censorship altogether. Going down the same road is getting nowhere. He talks of support from his readership and lack of support from colleagues in other media. A good start might be to talk with these colleagues and personally to play a more positive role in defusing the situation. His continuing crusade against the Government, waged at home and overseas, is doing nothing to restore freedom of the press.

The sooner censorship is totally removed, the better, but it will not come until the Fiji Times displays a higher standard of reporting than it did before the Emergency Regulations. The media hold a strong hand. The Government desperately needs the media if it is to build a better Fiji on a foundation of dialogue and general support. But even a strong hand needs to be played with skill. It remains to be seen how skillful a player Netani Rika is.

P.S. Sept. 7 2009. All Government departments have been instructed to stop subscribing to the Fiji Times.


Fiji Methodists Thank World Council of Churches
Rev.Tevita Banivanua, the Methodist deputy general secretary, has thanked the World Council of Churches for its support, and hopes it will have "an effect on the Government's attitude...We have been trying to establish dialogue with Government ... We are indeed very happy that government is showing a sign of openness towards that, but time and again they come in with some little hiccups on the way, which is sort of stopping us from engaging in dialogue that we would like to do and to carry on with the discussions about Fiji's future." Asked whether he thought the government would pay attention to the WCC and international support, he responded, "That's a good question ... They don't seem to be paying any attention to anybody. But I think ... they have at least to listen now, because otherwise we will continue to go down the drain. I am hopeful that with greater understanding, if they love Fiji, then hey have to be influenced by such moves." [Note: The Church has still not addressed the issue central to its confrontation with Government: its anti-Government political stance, and particularly its failure to condemn the extreme Fijian nationalism of senior ministers the Revs Lasaro and Kanailagi. I suspect dialogue will not improve until it has done so.]

(-+) Tourism Industry Almost Certainly Affected by Australian Negative Portrayal
The Bureau of Statistics reports there were 36,000 visitor arrivals in March, down 22.3% compared with 2008. Australia, that accounted for 40% (14,462) of arrivals, was down 25%. The only increases were from Taiwan and continental Europe. While "visitors" are not the same as "arrivals," a comparison with NZ for the year ending July shows NZ arrivals up 5.7% from Australia, and down down 8.3% from the Americas, 16.8% for Asia, and 2.8% overall.

Notwithstanding the global economic turndown, the higher proportion of business and citizen-returning arrivals and swine 'flu, the negative portrayal of Fiji's political situation, particularly in Australia, does seem to have been a major cause of the decline in numbers. Given that tourism is Fiji's major industry, Australia's so-called "smart sanctions" have had a not-too-smart effect on ordinary people and done nothing to change the Government's stance. To minimise future impacts -- and perhaps even persuade Government to move faster to elections -- Australia and NZ need to assure their public that travel to FijI.

(-+) The Anti-Government blog Discombobulatedbubu reports that Howard's Law Office was broken into last week. The thieves seem to have been professionals, and their search seemed to be confined to "Fijian" records. The blog thinks Government or the police are responsible. Maybe, but the explanation is more likely to be along the lines I suggested above with regard to the Netani Rika threats. Why break in when an official search warrant could easily have been obtained?

Did censoring the story stop the public knowing about Government's abuse of the law? Or did it stop anti-government thieves and their backers from using the media to "persuade" the public that Government broke the law? Only the thieves can answer that, but taking only "Fijian" items seems a little obvious -- like leaving behind the green army hat after another break-in we reported some months back. Who would gain most from this incident? Certainly not the Government. Then who?

(-) Sukuna Park and Electricity Belong to Jesus. Huh?

We can confirm that the Suva City Council's department in charge of hiring out Sukuna Park cut off electricity in the middle of a sermon at the New Methodist Church Crusade last Friday because the preaching was loud and noisy. Coupfourpointfive has been told that Suva City Council staff refused to re-connect the power despite threats from the Church preachers.

Sources say the SCC officer in charge of administering parks and properties told a security officer to turn down the volume of the speakers used for preaching as he could hear the loud noise almost 100 metres away. This was done twice but the preachers increased the volume to intolerable levels on both occasions. The security officer was then told to disconnect the power supply. All the officer had to do was to pull off a fuse that is in-built into the permanent podium at the park.

Sources say five angry New Methodist Church preachers barged into the office of the properties officer demanding that the electricity supply be restored. They told him that Sukuna Park and the electricity belonged to Jesus similar to Police Commissioner Esala Teleni's claim that the Holy Spirit speaks to him.

The preachers were told to test their own theory by the properties officer - that is to go back to Sukuna Park, throw the wires on the ground and tell Jesus to connect the power. The power supply was not restored, both by the Holy Spirit or the SCC.

Thanks Coupfourpointfive for this item. Photo: New Methodist Church youth march in Suva. Fiji Times.

My Comment
The New Methodist Church is a fundamentalist offshoot from the Methodist Church. Its founder and senior pastor is Atu Vulaono, brother of Police Commissioner Esala Teleni. The Police have used the church in an Anti-Crime Crusade, and it seems likely police who are not members of the church, including some who were not even Christian, have been browbeaten into attending parades addressed by church pastors. The church supports the Bainimarama Government. I am not sure how all the strands weave together but it could be that Bainimarama (an orthodox Methodist) needs Teleni's support in the Military Council and is happy to see the new church win members away from the Methodist church, with its anti-Government leadership.

My own view is that any perceived alliance between this (or any other) church or religious organization and Government will produce more opponents than it wins; and, more important, such an alliance flies in the face of the declared intentions of a government that says it wants a Fiji of racial and religious equality, and mutual respect.
Prime Minister, where do you stand? You cannot have it both ways. This is definitely an either/or situation.

Lockington's Everyday Fiji ... Life Goes On

Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in www.connectme.com.fj/news/opinion. I thank Allen and Connect for permission to reprint some of them in this political blog. They remind us that life goes on, whatever the political situation. And it's good to know that.

 Inter-island travel  

Someone wrote and asked if the Princess Ashika tragedy can happen in Fiji. The Ovalau was one. In previous years the inter-island vessel Kadavulevu sank. It can happen again if we are not careful with our interisland ferries. Many travelers will take their travel for granted.

I remember working in Levuka and acted as a Marine Checker. Many times I would advise small craft when they were overloaded and was politely told it was OK because they always travelled that way and nothing ever happened.

When boats drift because of engine trouble or bad weather and are overloaded, the authority is always taken to task.
But the Princess Ashika and Ovalau tragedies can be lessons for us to start tightening up our act as far as inter- island travel is concerned. The roll-on-roll off ferries are meant to sail within the safety of the reef because they are practically
flat bottomed. High seas and swell are not for them. Food for thought.

(o) Headline Links

PLEASE VOTE.
CLICK "HERE" ON THE LEFT TO ACCESS THE FIJI POLITICAL POLL.

SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE AND VOTE ON WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS BLOG. Vinaka.

• Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption searched Inland Revenue and Customs Authority offices Click here.

• Tourism Fiji Chairman Patrick Wong said the Commonwealth suspension should not impact on tourism. Click here.
• Sir Paul Reeves hopes high to find roadmap to democracy. Click here.
• Navosa chiefs split on whether to separate from Nadroga. Click here.
• NZ travel ban prevents Fiji Broadcasting Corporation chairman travel to sign a deal with a New Zealand company.Click here.
• Australia will help electoral process and development assistance programme will continue. Click here.
• NZ investors lose millions in Fiji resorts failed developments. Click here.
• Two NGOs FemLinkPacific Click here . FRIEND Click here.

(+) New Auckland Indian Weekly; its Editor's Visit to Fiji

Indian Newslink is an on-line fortnightly published in Auckland whose target readership is New Zealanders from the Sub-Continent, Fiji and other parts of the greater Indian diaspora. But everyone interested in Fiji will find much to "chew over" on their Fijilink tab. The September 1 issue has a special report on the editor's recent visit to Fiji. Here is an extract:

"The extensive tour of the country over a seven-day period accorded me an opportunity to observe the ground realities. Contrary to what has been portrayed in the global media, armed forces do not patrol the streets, there are no gun-wielding police officers and visitors to government offices are not frisked. In fact, people appeared to be more relaxed than ever before. Says a top retailer in Suva: “A major difference is that people employed in government offices have become prompt and efficient.”

Fijians in general see New Zealand as a ‘big brother in neighbourhood’ and would like its leadership and people to understand the circumstances that confront their country and extend their support and assistance. Their view needs careful consideration and we hope that the government of John Key and the Labour Party led by Phil Goff will look at Fiji from a fresh perspective and review their strategy.

One thing was clear during my visit: A majority of Fijians are determined to ensure that racism, divisive politics, corruption and other socio-economic diseases are wiped out before any democratic elections are held. " [Click here to read the report in full.]

(G) Update: Fiji Values Commonwealth Ties

We had to rely on FijiLive and FijiVillage for this Government release. The same Fiji Times that almost joyously announced Fiji's suspension from the Commonwealth, and so values media freedom, has reverted to its earlier mode of not reporting any Government statement in protest against the Emergency Regulations that censor media releases.

Under the heading C'wealth Can Help Us Break Free FijiLive reports a government spokesman saying Government "believes the Commonwealth can partner with Fiji to resolve its long standing systemic and structural challenges [and help] correct longstanding injustices, inequalities and corruption.”

The spokesman said elections alone will not resolve these problems: democracy must be contextualised within Fijian experience and history. He said Government is looking forward to meeting the team led by Sir Paul Reeves, the special representative of Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, who will be in Fiji next week.

(+) Fiji's Commonwealth Suspension (See Correction)

Unfortunate. Inevitable. Sad. Fiji is fully suspended from the Commonwealth.

This outcome was obvious months ago. Ever since the Commonwealth followed the Forum's lead on insisting on conditions that would not --and could not -- be met if Fiji were to carry out the reforms chartered by the Bainimarama government before elections were held.


One can, of course, see where the Forum and Commonwealth are coming from. They had to react to what they saw as an illegitimate regime imposed by the military. The pity is they could not also see that the regime that was deposed was far from democratic, even though it had the support of most ethnic Fijians. And that the only way to break the cycle of coups, and establish a just and more genuine democracy, was to remove race as the inflammatory accelerant from Fiji politics once and for all. The party leaders, Qarase and Chaudhry, the Commonwealth insist Bainimarama include in dialogue do not want this. Race-based parties and electorates guarantee their re-election. That's why their recent letter to Bainimarama copied the Commonwealth's insistence on inclusive dialogue with no conditions and no determined outcomes, and why the Government will always resist this sort of dialogue with politicians like this.

The situation is anomalous but the irony is not hard to see. Read it slowly. Two democratic, non-racist institutions oppose a military regime -----and so unwittingly continue to extend support for undemocratic, racist politicians----- and so undermine the wobbly efforts of the military regime (sic!) ---- to impose democratic, non-racist political procedures.

One can only hope that Sir Paul Reeves' visit later this month and the probability that talks and some contacts will continue off stage, will ease the pain the Commonwealth's decision will inflict on ordinary people in Fiji.

Meanwhile, massive Commonwealth financial support for the ailing sugar industry remains frozen, and the industry, the country's third largest employer, that also needs major reform, totters close to the edge of collapse. Thousands of ordinary people are affected.

I can only echo Ratu Epeli Ganilau's words: "Hopefully by the time we get to elections in 2014 all these things can come back to normal ... [These are the] sacrifices that have to be faced, in order to achieve what we’ve set out to do. Reforms don’t happen overnight. We’re talking about major reforms to the political process.”

Read the Fiji Times story.

Correction: It is the EU, and not the Commonwealth, that is withholding support for the sugar industry. My apologies. But, just as Australia and NZ influence the Forum, and the Forum the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth influences the UN and the European Union. The "succession" is captured in the old nonsense poem --

Big fleas have little fleas
Upon their backs to bite 'em.
Little fleas have lesser fleas
And so on, ad infinitum.

(-o) Seeing Signs

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity... - Luke 21:25-27.

Anti-Government blog Fiji Today drew my attention to a RNZI report stating that support for the Fiji Government is declining. Former USP academic and now at ANU, Dr Jonathan Fraenkel (photo) is reported to have said he "sees signs that backing [for the] Fiji regime may be dissipating ...One of the things that’s quite noticeable is that you don’t have so many grand statements of support for the regime coming out, even from interim ministers ... Since the abrogation of the constitution in April, I think the whole show has come a little bit off the rails ... Even government ministers don’t seem to believe in the objectives of the 2006 coup anymore.”

Fraenkel built his reputation as an academic, not as a psychic, and as an academic he is ethically required to produce some evidence to support his public statements, or at least to mix comment and evidence. This is not always easy in a short radio interview, but seeing signs is not enough. In fact, his seeing signs has me worried.

Fraenkel's anti-government stance is well-known. He is one of those people who think Bainimarama (and I quote) is "really just trying to cling to power" (although, contradicting himself, he did concede interim ministers at least once believed in the coup's objectives.) One suspects that's why he was interviewed by Radio NZI which only last week refused an invitation to visit Fiji to talk to ordinary people on what they thought. Fraenkel has made three claims: dissipating support (his evidence? lack of grand statements); show has come off rails (evidence? zilch); Government ministers don't believe in coup objectives (evidence? zilch). And all this "seen" from Australia!

As a fellow academic, I challenge my former colleague to present some credible evidence for his claims. His right to opinions is not questioned, nor am I questioning whether he has correctly "read the signs." He could well be correct. What is questioned is the use of his academic credentials to present a personal, one-sided viewpoint-- with no evidence whatsoever. It does not require a PhD to argue thus. RNZI could have interviewed anybody, even Peni, aged 16, walking down Cumming Street.

High Noon QUIZ 3

[Please see the first quiz for more information.]

1. Name the two Methodist ministers Bainimarama called "political."
2. Name the Catholic Archbishop associated who co-chaired the People's Charter.
3. In what NZ county do I live?
4. What can the envelope icon at the end of each posting be used for?
5. What was Mr Hampton helping to organize?

This week's theme: History

6. In what years did the Deed of Cession and Independence occur?
7. Name the three matanitu (confederacies).
8. Whose portrait is this and who was his Tongan rival?
9. Name the English Governor who introduced the most administrative changes.
10. Name the ship on which the first Indian indentured labourers arrived in 1879.
Portrait: Wikipedia

Commonwealth and Fiji Talk Past Each Other, and Other Stories

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.