(B) Election Formats: Part II Walsh - "New Election Playing Fields and Outcomes"

Last week I summarized two articles by Prof.Wadan Narsey on Fiji's election system, and provided links to the originals. The articles explained proportional voting and the list system which seem likely to replace the AV system used in Fiji's 2006 election. Using the 2006 election results, Wadan showed that irrespective of the system used (AV or proportional representation), the SDL would have been elected and Indo-Fiians were not under-represented by either system. The only difference was that the "fairer" proportional voting system would have seen two minor parties, the NFP and NAP, win 5 and 3 parliamentary seats respectively.

In Part II I comment on Wadan's articles, the NCBBF election proposals, the importance of the "split vote", the abolition of communal seats and ethnic minorities, Independent candidates, the number and size of constituencies, open and closed party lists, minimum votes needed to win a seat in parliament, and (thanks to notes by Ranjit Singh) on useful lessons from New Zealand's experience with its proportional and party list election system.

(o) Tarte Retirement: End of an Media Era

CORRECTION. SEE NOTE BELOW.
Pacific Freedom Forum has a brief tribute to Daryl Tarte (photo) who recently resigned from the Fiji Media Council, after 13 years service in what became one of the most difficult jobs in the country. The FMC attempts to improve media quality and "provide a neutral and trusted link between media houses and a public complaints process" but since 2006 the Council has had the unenviable job of mediating between a generally hostile media and a short-fused Government. Striking a balance that called for media independence and freedom of the media on the one hand, and responsible reporting on the other hand was a particularly challenging task.

Snippets: Police, Misspent Billions, UN Peacekeeping

Police Roadshow to Replace Christian Crusade
The Police have cancelled the nationwide Christian Crusade scheduled to begin today and replaced it with a road aimed at informing the public about police work and how they can assist the community. The suddenness of this last minute decision makes one think it is a result of the widespead criticism of the forced "christianization" of the Force. If so, the decision is particularly welcome because it shows Government is receptive to public thinking.The roadshow will be opened by Police Commissioner Cde Esala Teleni, the instigator of the now hopefully-abandoned Crusades. Click here. Photo: Police Marching Band. The Fiji Times.

All Strangely Agree on Reform Substance -- Really?

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"The strange thing is I have talked myself to political leaders in Fiji and all of them agree strangely enough on the substance of the reforms which are necessary."

These are the words of Roger Moore, the European Union's Director for Development and Relations with the Pacific, after his recent return from Fiji where he met government and opposition leaders. He was speaking yesterday to NZTV's Paul Holmes.

Comment
It is indeed strange. It is also the first time I've heard the claim. One wonders why, if it is so simple now, the political leaders did nothing to implement the reforms when they were in parliament. Why they have constantly tried to undermine and detract from government's reform efforts. And why they themselves have done nothing to advance reform except to talk in non-specific terms to overseas visitors.

(+) Football Shows a Possible Way to Ease PER and Renew Dialogue

The Emergency Regulations (PER) curb the exchange and spread of opinion, pro- and anti-government alike. They make it difficult for Government to get its views out in an acceptable way. They inhibit public feedback. They allow negative rumours to proliferate. They make public discussion impossible.

My view is that the continuance of PER will soon become counter-productive, producing far more long-term disadvantages than short-term security is worth. It may be too early to resume the President's Political Dialogue Forum (PPDF) but it is not too early to relax PER, and progressively increase dialogue. Relaxing PER is Government's first step to regain support from Fiji's "middle ground," the genuine democrats whose support has turned luke-warm in recent months.

With respect, therefore, I urge Government and the Military Council to consider the following suggestions on how to permit dialogue and media freedom without jeopardizing public security.

(o) New Initiatives to Help Poor and Rural Sector

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.

Sugar Exports

It is heartening to read about the $32m sugar export, however, we all know that we are capable of exporting more. The Fiji Sugar Corporation had trouble starting the mill. We all know that things could have been better, but that’s another story. Sugar can still be the backbone of our economy, or run parallel with tourism. Agriculture can be the sustaining force propping up everything else.

If we have to, let’s give the land to those who are better toilers and farmers, those who have a greater desire to work a little bit harder. Let’s give the land to those who have a little more endurance than us and let’s all benefit a little at a time.

Having said that, I had a meeting with business partners in which we would share the spoils – equally. One of the partners said that in time greed would rear its ugly head when one partner would think that his input was more important than the others. Guess what! It hit me like a ton of bricks. It brought me down to earth. I learnt a very important lesson that day.

Many famous rock bands ended when one musician thought he or she was better than the other and thus everything comes crashing down. So let’s acknowledge that we can share what we have. While we twiddle our thumbs, time moves and cane fields turn to weeds.

By the way, is there a market for paragrass somewhere overseas?

(o) People Who Deceive Lose Credibility: AI, Apolosi Bose, Peter Waqavonovono

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An email from Peter Waqavonovono of the Fiji Young Peoples Concerned Network invited me to read "a new report by Amnesty International of Fiji condition." He said the report, published on 8 September, "reveals Fiji's human rights violations."

The"latest violations" reported and written by AI's Apolosi Bose ( a Fijian national) were the detention of Adi Teimumu Kepa and the Methodist ministers who violated the public emergency regulations in July. But, coupled with violations and alleged violations dating back to 2006, all these earlier events were fuzzily presented as recent.

Whatever they might think of the Bainimarama Government, the recycling -- and repetition-- of old news as new, and urging people to act on it, is just straight-out deceit. People who deceive lose credibility.

(+) Blog Rumour Foul*-Mongering and PERs Backfiring

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Some blogs are built on gossip, rumour and hopeful speculation. In the case of Coupfourpointfive, the usually more reasoned of the anti-government blogs, most rumours concern different government officials getting sacked or being moved on. My guess is that their purpose is to keep the pot boiling on supposed divisions within the military and Bainimarama government. As the saying goes, "If you throw enough mud at a wall, some of it is sure to stick." Another blog, based on its "reliable sources", had the military about to revolt and Methodists determined to hold their conference, whatever the odds.

Sometimes the rumours prove true, but most times one waits in vain for the axe to fall on an unsuspecting official. Coupfourpointfive never comments, corrects or apologies for its errors.

(B) Election Formats: Part I Narsey on Proportional Representation and the List System

In this two-part series USP economics Prof. Wadan Narsey and I come to rather different conclusions on the possible outcomes of electoral reform. Wadan's two related articles, Electoral Reform Not about Racial Justice and Does the Military Really Want Electoral Reform? were previously published by Pacific Scoop. I abridge and summarize their contents here with a link to the originals. Part II Walsh New Election Playing Fields and Outcomes will be published next week.