Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)

Monday 27 August 2012

The FLAPSLUP Party: Do Not Be Deceived

The call by Mahendra Chaudhry's Fiji Labour Party (FLP) for a coalition with its former enemy the Laisenia Qarase's Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL) party and Mick Beddoes's United People'e Party (UPP) should come as no surprise.

Chaudhry and Beddoes in particular are interested in only one thing: a return to power, preferably in government or if not, a return to the mana and exercise of some power as senior members of parliament. Qarase is likely to be "otherwise engaged.”

Forward to the past with the Old Team
 I really wonder why they have not gone the whole hog.  They should form one party, the FLPSDLUPP party, or FLAPSLUP for short.

In this way, the essentially Indo-Fijian FLP, the essentially iTaukei SDL and the leftover-of-other races party, the UPP,  would no longer have to pretend to be multi-ethnic.

They could keep their agendas while posing as a single party that would include all ethnicities and so meet one of the criteria for entering the 2014 election. What is more, they would certainly win seats in the election, perhaps enough to become government.

And then, as they enjoy the spoils, they could start to dissemble all the measures that have been moving Fiji towards a truly multi-ethnic society for the past six years. Later along the road, if Chaudhry has not already caused a fatal rupture in the set up, they could go their own separate ways,  return to the type of party  they were in 2006. And all the fun of having each race pitting itself against the other would start all over again.

Meanwhile, with  FLAPSLUP controlling a large number of seats, they could carve up the goodies in the absence of an effective parliamentary opposition. Thus, the  supposed party of national unity would become a party of national disunity — and  Fiji would be back at square one.

What Fiji needs are new parties representing new interest groups and new policies, with new and younger leaders. not the same old parties, based on race, and the same tired old faces.

If Fiji citizens allow themselves to go along with this hoax, they will have thrown away the opportunity to rethink and reshape their future. 
  • To ask what sorts of parties are needed to represent their needs and hopes. 
  • What sort of Opposition they need in Parliament. 
  • What assurances they need to give  to iTaukei so they will know their interests will be honoured. 
  • What new checks and balances they need to protect minorities, women, children, the elderly, the disabled, the poor and others who are socially or economically vulnerable. 
  • What measures they need to prevent politics being used again as a plaything by a defeated government, and so forestall future  coups. 
  • What structures they can help put in place, when the Constitution Assembly meets next year, to ensure that all politicians, public servants, the judiciary, the military and those in the different branches of iTaukei administration honour their oaths to uphold the new constitution. 
These are among the issues that need to be considered by the Constitution Commission and the Constitution Assembly.

No one in FLAPSLUP  is talking about these issues. They have given them little to no thought because their main concern is a return to power.

Chaudhry says he wants another chance. But he and they have already had the opportunity to show what sort of country they want Fiji to be —and they blew it in a very big way.

16 comments:

Disappointed said...

How great to see this blog move from an independently neutral "news" source to one which clearly offers a side to what is very much a Fijian issue to work out.

It's a real disappointment, Croz, that you feel the need to tell Fijians not to be deceived.
Your blog has lost all credibility and posts like this prove it. What a shame.

Crosbie Walsh said...

Sorry you're disappointed but no one agrees with everything even a friend says. I've pointed to issues on which I would have expected some comments from the old parties but their only comments so far have been on the Constitution review process. They have been anticipating what can go wrong if Bainimarama interferes. Fine. But they also need to address the sorts of question I've raised. So far all Chaudhry has said is that he'd keep the old racial-based seats. That's really unifying! Don't you think they need to tell us what are they going to do differently if they get into power again?

Fijiana said...

Bula Nameste!! Croz what a great job you are doing. I personally want to thank you and do appreciate your time and interest in what matters for Fiji.

junta SLURP said...

Croz
Anything is better than a group of thugs with guns that take over an elected government by force and hold the nation to ransom (and fill their pockets eg how much is the so called PM paying himself? where is transparency and honesty?). The fact that this junta is trying to manipulate immunity for what they have done is a clear admission of guilt as far as I am concerned. There is no place for such people in Fiji now or in the future.

Anonymous said...

Croz,

I assume while you critise the former parties you are fine with Frank & Co when we don't even know if he will form a party yet ? He has not come clean yet on that promise of 'no one in the interim government being able to stand in the election'. We assume he will break that one as well. If he wasn't planning to he could easily dismiss Mahen from being elligble because he was part of the interim government but I guess he won't because he should then technically dismiss himself, his AG eg...

Anonymous said...

I fully agree that we need new faces in politics. The old guard has had their chance and blew it. What about young dynamic politicians such as the AG? Would it not be great to have him standing for election on his sun set policy platform? Everything Fijian needs to come to an end and will be replaced with what exactly?

Joe said...

These 3 are the major part of "THE PROBLEM". Fiji can certainly do without them. They have had their time and it is clear that they were there for themselves and not for the country. The honourable thing for them to do is to bow out gracefully. It is because of people like these we have had so many coups. Unity, common identity etc hurts these racist bigots the most.

Crosbie Walsh said...

I am most certainly not "fine with Frank and Co" as should be evident from my not infrequent criticisms. But the point of this posting is that the old parties have not addressed any of the issues raised. On most of them we know what Frank and Co want whether or not he forms a new party. It has been spelt out by the People's Charter, the Roadmap and the non-negotiable conditions of the current dialogue. What we don't know is what the old parties' plans are for the future unless it is merely back to 2006, and more of the same. Anonymous, please use a pseudonym. Click Name/URL in making your comment.

as old as they get said...

Lets look at Franks team for a second....apart from the AG they too are mostly FAILED POLITICIANS. There is no fresh blood in there. They are from the other long forgotten or abandoned political parties. So when Croz and Frank call for "new, forward looking" people to step forward what he really means is anyone who supports him.

Forgive and forget said...

Let's bring back SDL-FLP.
We can put Qarase back in charge of Fijian Holdings.
Chaudhry can return as finance minister - he is very hard on tax dodgers - and organise donations for poor farmers.
While we are at it, let's bring back Navi Naisoro and Jale Baba of the SDL.
Let's not forget disbarred lawyer, Qoriniasi Bale as AG.
We know these are selfless people who have the public's interest at heart.
They are as clean as a whistle.
They are just what the young people need as role models.
Let's not forget Rajen chaudhry returning as dad mahen's secretary , as well as Vaishnoi as information minister, even though the latter has been suspended from FLP for unpaid loans of 20k.
mahen is still hanging on though, despite allegedly obtaining $3millon in name of the poor but stashing in his own account.
But we are a religious country all is forgiven.



Anonymous said...

Let's not forget several of those mention above Where brought back by Frank himself ! They wher only removed when the pressure became too much and remember Frank cleared Mahen of all wrong doings.

Anonymous said...

When you sit on millions, collected in the name of the poor in Fiji and stashed in a foreign bank, the gravity of the crime would catch up and it has. The master crafter has run his race and is now training his son the art of deception and looting in the name of serving the poor. It is interesting that the SDL Party has made its submissions and has shown its true colors and yet the FLP wants to cling to it. What a shame Chaudhary but the word shame does not exist in your dictionary - how can it when you didn't even spare the poor! The trinity who have joined for convenience have their self-interest before the interests of the nation and people of Fiji.

Mahen "champion of the poor" Chaudhry said...

MPC was Fiji's first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister.
He is also the first person in Fiji to become a millionaire through politics - what a record!
All credit to MPC for turning FLP into money making machine for him and his family, using poverty-stricken farmers as a front. Well done!

Joe said...

'Chorwa' and his useless son must have schemed the "get rich quick" in the name of the poor while they were SP8's guest for 56 days.

Mahenchod, betachod said...

Mahenchod was a crook when he was a kid (stealing toilet rolls from friends home); he was a crook when he was Minister of Finance; he was a crook when he stole from the poor ($3m for his retirement in Sydney so he won't have to be on dole); and he is already planning to steal from god when he dies, except he won't be allowed through the pearly gates.

Fijiana said...

Mahen should first get "his house in order" before he makes attempt to join forces with any other party. This saga with Felix is not going to help Mahen or Felix. The word out in the street is that both are not to be trusted. Felix has screwed the FNPF and the mill workers. Mahen has screwed the country. So people tell me who is the lesser of the 2 evils?