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

Thursday 31 May 2012

Aussies and Kiwis 'Saving Face', Out of Kick with US

Grubsheet   #87 A CLAYTON’S RE-ENGAGEMENT



NZ Foreign Minister Murray McCully and his Aussie counterpart Bob Carr in Suva
There’s something distinctly perverse about Australia and New Zealand maintaining their so-called smart sanctions against Fiji when their personnel are taking part in the registration of voters for the promised elections in 2014.  Two electoral experts – one from each country  – have joined the team that’s about to sweep through Fiji, updating the electoral roll by electronic means that are said to be tamper proof. This surely implies an acceptance in Canberra and Wellington  – however qualified – that the Fiji Government is proceeding with the elections. It also implies a belief – however qualified – that democracy in Fiji is in the process of being restored. Yet the official policy of both countries remains the diplomatic isolation of Fiji and travel bans on those associated with the regime to force it to an immediate poll. As the calendar rolls over, an election “now’ or one in 28 month’s time is fast becoming a moot point. And Australian and NZ policy looks increasingly frayed and unjustified.

Wednesday 30 May 2012

Legality and Legitimacy Are Not Synonyms

Signing of the Deed of Cession 1874
By Na Lawedua

The whole issue of legality is an interesting one. The ceding of countries to England, France, Belgium and Holland in the view of many had no legal basis at all.

So, even if some 13 Fijian chiefs agreed to cession, one must ask whether those chiefs had legal sovereignty over all the people; whether Cakabau had  the authority to cede Fiji to Britain, and whether the guerrilla warfare practised by the hill tribes against the British was a rebellion, as the history books say, or simply an exercise in the lawful protection of their tribal sovereignty? 

If Cession had no legal basis, what then was the status of the 1970, the 1990 and the 1997 constituitions? All three were passed by undemocratic means, with the 1997 Constitution ratified by a Parliament which had been installed by the 1990 Constitution which had been ratified by Decree!

The issue of legality is one which historically leaves us in a position of not being able to move forward at all, unless we now, at this time, aim for ratification through a representative and consensus gathering process which gives legitimacy through the democratisation of consultaion and opinion gathering.

That is not to say that we should never ask ourselves what the law says about the legality of a government but it does show that legitimacy and legality are two different things. Slavery was legal, but that legality did not give it legitimacy.

I think legitimacy exists in a substantive democracy. Legitimacy is about popular acceptance (not just submission and acquiescence); it is about popular consultation and agreement, and about respecting fundamental human rights and dignity.

If the current process in Fiji is able to obtain that form of legitimacy, then the legality or otherwise of the government which set up the process, becomes as marginal as the question of the legality of the 1997 Constitution —or the legality of British colonial rule.

The Constituent Assembly make up is important.  It should not just be a gathering of  Fiji's elites: the Crisis Centre, the NGO elite, the donor elite, the corporate elite, and so on. If this happens, the Assembly will undermine legitimacy, not build it. The Assembly must be far more representative. to be legitimate.

Historical Footnote: Within a year of the signing of the Deed of Cession, some 40,000 Fijians, over one-quarter of the estimated population of 150,000, died from measles.  Following the signing Cakobau and his family were feted with a trip to Sydney. They brought the  disease (and gonorrhoea) back with them. To avoid embarrassment, H.M.S. Dido flew no quarantine flag as it anchored off  Levuka and Cakobau's eldest son Ratu Timoci, infected with measles and gonorrhea, went ashore. The following day, January 22 1875, 69 chiefs met to decide what to do about possiible rebellion against Cession.  Several carried measles back with them to their vanua.

Tuesday 29 May 2012

News and Comments Tuesday 29 May 2014

TUI NAMOSI SAYS SUPPORT GOVERNMENT.  Ratu Suliano Matanitobua is calling on everyone to support government as it prepares for the 2014 elections. Matanitobua says  the reforms implemented by the government will benefit all Fijians and it is time to set all differences aside and support them in their efforts. A former politician and member of parliament himself, Ratu Suliano is happy with the developments that have been taking place in rural areas with many now having access to electricity, tap water, basic health and education.

MEANWHILE IN BAU, the Vunivalu title, that requires a unanimous vote, is still undecided. One suspects the indecision is due to the contenders having different views on how much or how little the Kubuna confederacy should support the Bainimarama government's plans leading in to the 2014 election.

THE ECONOMY. Prof Biman Prasad and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Kaiyum exchange views in an intelligent and courteous way—which is as it should be. Biman also had some ideas on investment and confidence. I shall  publish the main part  of Biman's argument in next Saturday's Weekend Reading.

COURAGE TO CHANGE. In closing the Crime Management workshop last week Police Commissioner Brigadier General Ioane Naivalurua said his hope is to see Police officers with a lot of courage to correct the wrongs, and officers who live and speak the truth within the force.

NAZHAT SHAMEEM'S WISH LIST ON POLICE INTERVIEWS. This is an extract from the former High Court  judge's address to the Crime Management Workshop held for police officers earlier last week. Scroll down to read the full address published in last Saturday's Weekend Reading.

"Let me paint for you, a scenario that I would like to see practised by every police station in Fiji.

1. No person is investigated unless and until there are  reasonable grounds to suspect that a person has committed a criminal offence.This is an objective test.

2. When a person is required for police questioning, it will be clear whether the person  is a suspect or a volunteer. A suspect may also be a volunteer, but as soon as a volunteer becomes a suspect, the caution will be administered, and no conversation will be held with the suspect unless it is (a) under caution, and (b) recorded either in the police notebook or in interview notes.

3. As soon as person is in custody, which means that he or she is not free to leave police custody, the person will be arrested by a person of his or her own gender.

4. At the time of arrest the suspect will be told of the reasons for arrest, the right to remain silent and the right to obtain legal advice from a private solicitor or from the Legal Aid Commission.

5. The suspect will be allowed to make a telephone call to relatives, friends or a lawyer.

6. If the suspect opts for a lawyer, the police will not commence interview until legal advice has been received by the suspect.

7. The interview will commence in an interview room which is equipped for video recording.

8. The police officers in the Crime Branch of every station in Fiji will have been trained to conduct caution interviews on video.

9. A failure to video record the interview will lead to discipline unless there is a good explanation, and such failure may also lead to the exclusion of the interview in court.

10. Where an interview cannot be video recorded in a station, the Crime Officer will decide whether the suspect should be transferred to a station which has video recording equipment, or to proceed without the video. In these circumstances, the interview should be audio recorded instead.

11. Every suspect in custody will be the responsibility of a custody officer, who will give evidence in court if there are questions about the way in which a suspect has been kept in custody.

12. A Police Act should set out a “Custody Clock” which limits the time a person can be kept in police custody, and which provides for extensions of time to be ordered by the courts, on the basis of good cause shown by the police.

13. No person should be kept in custody for questioning for more than 24 hours, unless the circumstances are exceptional. Thereafter the suspect must either be released, or charged and released on bail or remanded in prison custody by the courts.

14. Custody must be authorised by an officer above the rank of Corporal, and the Custody Officer must be a Sergeant or Inspector.

15. In court the video or audio recording of the interview will be admissible in evidence unless admission would be unfair, or where a confession is considered unreliable.

This is my wish list, but my wish list is in fact the state of the law on police confession in many countries in the world. 

The recording of police confessions is important, because it leads to greater transparency in police methods, it encourages police officers to prepare for their interviews on the basis of the law and the elements of the offence, it leads to the virtual eradication of the trial within a trial, and it protects the suspect from unfair police conduct, and the police from unfair allegations of unfair police conduct."

Saturday 26 May 2012

Lockington's Everyday Fiji ... Life Goes On

Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in Fiji. I thank Allen 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.

                          Bank Pull Out

What a pity that “our bank”, the Bank of the South Pacific will be closing its doors in Levuka. We have been told that the EFTPOS facility will still be available but what about other services like loans, queries about accounts, cash deposits and other services that are offered by the bank. Where can cash deposits be made?

Nazhat Shameem's Important Address to the Police Crime Investigation Workshop Police Workshop


Keynote Address – Fiji Police Crime Investigation Management Workshop 21st – 23rd May 2012, Fiji Police Academy, Suva, Nazhat Shameem, 21st May 2012.


I am sometimes asked by school students what the traditional symbol of justice, a blind-folded woman holding scales and a sword, means. That symbol can be traced back in history to the Greek Goddess Maat and the Egyptian Goddess Isis. However the modern symbol, of the Roman Goddess Justitia, was not originally depicted with a blind fold. Originally, she was only shown with a double edged sword – the sword of reason and justice, and with scales which depict the weighing up of evidence on the merits

How is Life in Fiji Today?



Downtown Suva coffee shop
Downtown Suva Mall
Of the 30-odd anti-Bainimarama government blog sites one might have escaped readers' attention, either because it has until now published only infrequently or because whatever it publishes is copied and published by other anti-blogs, as is their way.

The overlooked blog is Good Men (and Women) Doing Something "for the people of Fiji who want to do something but do not have the means to do something, about the illegal regime that is now in power." This is the link to their site. The major contributor is 'Fiji Black' whose most recent posting is ”I'm just overwhelmed by what is happening here, in Fiji." The article tells readers about the sorry state of affairs in Fiji, covering four areas: the "farcicle" justice system, a “dead” downtown Suva, the struggle for "survival", and the brain drain.

Rural-Urban "Drift"

By Kevin J. Barr

The editorial in the Fiji Sun (April 25th) and some of the letters to the Editor around that time discussed the rural/urban drift and the attempt made by the Commissioner Western and the Prime Minister to try and address the issue by building up facilities in rural areas and so providing people there with better schools, roads, access to markets etc. All that is good and very positive.

The editorial in the Fiji Sun (April 25th) and some of the letters to the Editor around that time discussed the rural/urban drift and the attempt made by the Commissioner Western and the Prime Minister to try and address the issue by building up facilities in rural areas and so providing people there with better schools, roads, access to markets etc. All that is good and very positive.

However your editorial stated that,

Friday 25 May 2012

Fiji's "New" Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Take your Pick


WEEKEND READING.  • Allen Lockington Column • Nazhaat Shameem on Proper Police Procedures  • Fr Kevin Barr on Rural-Urban Drift  • How is Life in Fiji Today?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                     Opinion by Crosbie Walsh

With Alice in Alice in the Looking Glass
If they continue as they have started, it's clear that former prime ministers Qarase and Chaudhry intend to obstruct every move Government takes along the road to elections in 2014.

They wish to be heard by the Constitution Commission — but deny its legality and credibility.  They now see no reason for anything more than tinkering with the 1997 Constitution — but this was not always so.  They object to the military being involved in the massive logistical exercise  of voter registration — even  though officers from the Electoral Office and overseas vote registration experts will be present.

Qarase has called for an "independent body" to handle the task and Chaudhry says military involvement is "absurd" and the registration "does not have the confidence of the people" — though how he would know this is unclear. The military are organizing the logisitics; the Electoral Office and experts the registration.

With the need to register sixty hundred thousand people in over a thousand centres and more than a hundred islands, how do they think the exercise should be carried out with the maximum efficiency and the minimum cost? Which independent body can handle this? The Boy Scouts? Or 6,000 paid teachers during a school vacation?

It is not the first time, of course, that the two have raised objections.  They put obstacles in the way of discussions and dialogue leading into the People's Charter and for the past five years they have seldom missed an opportunity to snipe at government, and they have done this without putting forward a single helpful suggestion on how Fiji is to move forward, other than their self-serving and totally unrealistic demand for immediate elections.

Elections? Let's glance back. Many in Fiji will remember how they performed when they last held political power. Chaudhry's abrasive manner and cultural insensitivity fuelled the Taukei ethno-nationalists who overthrew his government in the "Speight" coup of 2000. Qarase refused to share power with Chaudhry following the 2001 Election, thereby breachingthe 1997 Constitution and breaking the law. His later "acceptance" led to the farce of Mick Beddoes's party of two becoming the official parliamentary opposition. And then there was the roll out of ethnic legislation: the so-called Tolerance and Reconciliation Bill that would have absolved all those responsible for the Speight Coup (and the arson in Downtown Suva!); the Qoliqoli Bill that would have set mataqali against each other and denied non-Taukei (including the vital tourism industry) access to beaches, off-shore recreation and fishing, and other supposedly pro-taukei legislation that in reality would only have benefited the Taukei elite, that led to the Baininimarama Coup. 

Now Qarase and Chaudhry, once mortal enemies and now tweedles of convenience, are thinking of a joint presentation to the Constitution Commission, and there's even talk of a shared interim government in 2014.

I cannot help but compare Fiji with many other "Third World" countries when critics talk of alleged (and real) abuses of human rights.  Where else would two former PMs be allowed to walk freely in the streets and talk sedition? Where else would two largely discredited political parties, whose policies were instrumental in causing two coups,  be allowed so much freedom?

God help Fiji if Qarase and Chaudhry and unreformed SDL and FLP parties are ever returned to power.

Fiji needs new politicians  who will appeal to people of all races, and  political parties that promote healthy debate and unity of purpose, not discord and division. The alternative is more of the same—and more coups.

Thursday 24 May 2012

News and Comments Thursday 24 May 2012

Bau Island - Google Earth
Bau Chief  Urges All Taukei to Support the Constitution Commission

  Bau chief Ratu Joji Kadavulevu Cakobau has called on all iTaukei to support Government’s Roadmap to Democracy.  In an interview at Mokani Village in Tailevu he said the Prime Minister had already announced the process of formulating Fiji’s new Constitution.

“We must make good use of this golden opportunity and for the protection of our culture and tradition. We must make our submission to the Constitutional Commission on how we want these two important issues to be protected in the new constitution,” Ratu Joji said.

Some people, he said, were already attacking the constitutional process. He said this was a “waste of time”. He said the iTaukei people should be united in making sure that their interests were taken care of in the new Constitution.

The former senator said while Fijians must all champion equality, there were things that the iTaukei people should protect. However, this would mean that all provinces meet and discuss what should be submitted to the Constitutional Commission. He said the Prime Minister had announced that the new Constitution should be relevant to a new and modern Fiji.

Ratu Joji said Government had promised the constitutional process would be inclusive and that all Fijians be given access to the consultation process. The Prime Minister had also announced that Government would ensure that adequate transportation is provided to citizens—in particular in the rural and maritime areas—to attend the consultation forums and meetings.“We should take advantage of this opportunity in order for our voices to be heard,” he said.
-- Based on Maika Bolatiki in the Fiji Sun.

Ratu Joji is a son of the late Ratu Sir George Cakobau, the Vunivalu (or high chief) of the powerful Kubuna confederacy, by his first wife Adi Veniana Gavoka. The Vunivalu's position has been vacant since 1989 but a new vunivalu could be announced this coming Friday. The two candidates are Ratu Joji and Ratu Epenisa Cakobau, the son of Ratu Sir George by his second wife Adi Lelea Seruwaia Balekiwai. Both are the great-great grandson's of Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the paramount chief who ceded Fiji to Queen Victoria in 1874.

AUST, NZ HELP VOTER REGISRATION. The overseas experts will join a logistical expert from the Republic of Fiji Military Forces in creating a deployment plan for the electronic voter registration period scheduled to begin on July 3. The team will be headed by Major Isoa Loanakadavu, who will be joined by William Hogan, an Australia-based electoral operations consultant with the United Nations, and Mark Jones, manager operations at the Electoral Enrolment Centre in New Zealand. The team will work in collaboration with the Canadian electronic voter registration firm CODE, Inc. Government opponents have said the operation should be independent of the Attorney-General's office to ensure transparency, and the Aust and NZ Governments had insisted on direct contact with CODE, Inc. The arrangement seems transparent and there is direct contact with CODe.

Government has purchased 380 electronic voter registration units at a cost of $3.9M. Some 640,000 people are expected to be registered at 1,150 centres over a period of eight weeks. The registrations, that will prevent double voting, will be carried out by the same Elections Office the anti-blogs only two weeks ago had claimed had been disbanded! Another concern, expressed by former politicians, is that the exercise is headed by the military. The Attorney-General said, "This is purely a logistical exercise, this is purely to get the job done ... It does not mean ...that you are somehow sophisticating [or] altering the system, [or that] somehow the RFMF is going around planting a bug."

TWO KIWI VISITORS VIEWS ON FIJI.  These words by Stephen Franks, prominent lawyer and former ACT MP, on his recent visit to Fiji: “I met no one who wanted the undemocratic chiefly rule back or the demagogic Indian Labour Party. Unprompted, different people told me of their respect for Bainimarama, including an Indian tourist operator, two taxi drivers, two long term expat business people from Europe, several indigenous Fijians, and some Tuvaluan Fijians.

"They like Bainimarama’s even-handedness among the races, his hostility to corruption, and the relative efficiency of the military governors in their districts. They respect the obstacles he’s faced. Of course they’d prefer freedom and functioning democracy, but they cannot see a way to it. So in the meantime they are grateful that their dictator is benign."

The other visitor was the Editor of the National Business Review, Nevil Gibson,  who said, "At the risk of sounding like a cheerleader for the commodore, I think Fiji finally looks like gaining economic traction as well as diplomatic credibility."

GRUBSHEET.  " Lights go on in 'God's Zone'".

FIJITODAY JUMPS THE GUN. FijiToday reports that people "attending the constitutional consultation sessions held by the regime have expressed overwhelming support for the 1997 Constitution. So far sessions have been held in Lomanisau, Nabitu and Muaniweni in the central division. Those attending have questioned the need to rewrite the constitution."

Correction: The Constitution consultations have not yet started and when they do they will be conducted by the Constitution Commission chaired by Prof Yash Ghai. What FT described is the civic education programme preceding the Commission's work that began this month and will continue until July.

Wednesday 23 May 2012

News and Comments Wednesday 23 May 2012

THE JET ON LINE. For readers seeking more news on Fiji visit Shalendra Prasad's  The Jet Online, a fortnightly paper published in Nadi with the support of local businesses and the City Council. All issues since January 2010 are available through this link.

INNOCENT PEOPLE JAILED. This from FijiLive: "Innocent people have been convicted of crimes on the basis of confessions obtained through police brutality or unfair means, says former Fiji High Court judge, Nazhat Shameem. “People who should not have been convicted for crimes, have been convicted of those crimes on the basis of police confessions made in custody,” she told the Criminal Investigation Department workshop in Suva yesterday. Shameem said in almost every serious case, allegations of police brutality and unfairness are made."

Unsurprisingly, the anti-blogs were delighted with Ms Shameen's statement though I doubt she has yet won enough Brownie points for Coup 4.5 to withdraw its allegation that the Shameem sisters and the Chief Justice have already drafted the new constitution (See Disinformation #1) or that she is  part of a Muslim plot  to steal Taukei land (See Disinformation #2).
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What the local and anti-blog media did not report, however, was that innocents being jailed is not a new thing in Fiji. They could also have reported on the measures Ms Shameem recommended the police adopt to safeguard against injustice including, most importantly, the video taping of interviews. They could also have said the measures recommended were intended to protect those interrogated and protect the Police against false allegations.

Given these omissions, on behalf of FijiLive and the anti-bloggers, I congratulate the police for holding this workshop,  Ms Shameem for running it, and the Fiji media for reporting it.  It takes guts to admit to shortcomings, courage to seek ways to eliminate them, and a post-PER media to report them.   I will publish Ms Shameem's  full address to the Police Workshop on Saturday in the Weekend Readings.

WADAN ON THE CONSTITUTION PROCESS. Prof Wadan Narsey has a thoughtful and interesting paper in Coup4.5 on Prof Yash "Ghai's Dialema." He argues the 1997 Constitution still stands, and that nothing can be decided until a new short-term interim government in 2014 votes on recommended constitutional and electoral amendments, the GCC, the Charter, amnesty and the Bainimarama decrees.  I agree with some of his arguments, and am too untrained in the law on others, but I don't like the prospects for dialogue or for Fiji if the Commission simply follows his advice. Too much can go wrong on the way and Fiji could well see itself back in 2006 — as of course some people want. See Wadan's article on Coup4.5 or  here (without photos) on Mediafire .

FLP's SUGAR ACCUSATION RESPONSE. The Fiji Labour Party has responded to the Ministry of Sugar's statement, published  in this blog on  Monday, by saying its figures did not allow for the devaluation of the Fiji dollar and by refuting its claim that politics and unionism had impeded the industry's recovery. The FLP also attacked the Fiji Sun, saying it was "a puppet of the regime."

WILL ARABS HELP FINANCE RURAL ELECTRICITY? Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola was recently in Abu Dhabi to seek money from the Abu Dhabi Development Fund for Government's $9.5 million two-year Rural Electrification Project that aims to connect 200 communities (about 20,000 people) in the main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu where the potential for grid connected rural electrification existed.

Ratu Inoke said Government recognized the importance of rural electricity in creating "a new dimension" of rural services in medicine, telecommunication, education and important social actvities. He said brighter lights will make studying easier, surplus food will be preserved in refrigerators, new domestic appliances will ease women's workload, and schools will have access to information technology, electric audio visual aid and be able to extend teaching to include computers, power tools and other vocational activities.

Ratu Inoke, pointing the value of the new embassy in Abu Dhabi, said he expected the project would be considered by the board of the ADDF in its next meeting. -- Based on article by Maika Bolatiki on Lemeki Delainukunawa's Facebook.

SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS $10.6 MILLION DEBT. The Public Service Commission (PSC) is owed $10.6 million from scholarship holders for the past seven years. Permanent Secretary Parmesh Chand said they have been able to recover $6.3m over the past two years. “We have $15.1 million committed for the distribution of scholarships and loans,” said Chand. “To date we have provided 1080 scholarships and loans with 623 for multi-ethnic affairs, 411 for local scholarships, 32 student loan scheme, 8 overseas scholarships and six donors funded,” he said. As former US President John F Kennedy said: My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Had he been addressing Fijians, he'd have said repay your debt. Your selfishness is denying others scholarships.



FEMLINK TO UN ADVISORY GROUP. Fiji’s Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls, founder of FemLINKPACIFIC, has been included as part of a global civil society group to advise the UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet.

Monday 21 May 2012

Chaudhry Blames Everyone Except Himself

What Government is Doing for the Sugar Industry
 The following statement was released today by the Ministry of Sugar:


The Bainimarama government and the Ministry of Sugar are very much focussed on ensuring the longevity of the sugar industry. The Bainimarama Government has facilitated, amongst other things, the legal ability of farmers to now obtain longer term leases, a thorough assessment and implementation of efficient cartage systems, efficiency of the sugar mills following the debacle of the Qarase government led upgrade, and continued assistance to farmers.

News and Comments Monday 21 May 2012

WHO SUFFERS WHEN FIJI IS  EXCLUDED? On Friday I posted this item. "AUSTRALIA'S CARR SOURS JAPAN-FIJI RELATIONS. The Japanese government had invited PM Bainimarama to an international conference in Japan until Carr, probably fearful of losing critical trade union support for the struggling Labor government, persuaded Japan to withdraw the invitation. Click here to see what Grubsheet says."

Predictably, the anti-blogs supported Australia. They did not see it as a "big" Pacific neighbour once again using its weight to swipe at its "small" Pacific neighbour, but this is the way it will be seen by its other "small" Pacific neighbours, most of whom have been the subject of Australian bullying.

Nor did they see it as an insult to Fiji; not just Bainimarama and his government: Fiji.  Fiji needs the best possible access to its Asian and global neighbours, not exclusion. The anti-blogs repeatedly crow about Fiji's economic difficulties. They think they are hitting out at the Bainimarama government, but it is ordinary Fijians who are suffering thanks in no small part to the policies of its supposedly friendly neighbouring governments. This is the Government release on the PALM exclusion: 

Fiji won’t be going to PALM 6: PM Bainimarama

Fiji will not be attending the sixth Pacific Island leaders meeting (PALM) in Tokyo, Japan this year. While thanking Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda for inviting Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola to the meeting, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said Fiji will not attend as it “is meeting of leaders”. The Prime Minister was not invited.
Prime Minister Bainimarama said despite this Fiji is committed to promoting high levels ties between Fiji and Japan as Fiji and Japan have long enjoyed an excellent friendship. He invited the Japanese Prime Minister to visit Fiji later this year to enhance these political and economic ties.
Prime Minister Bainimarama said Fiji has recently engaged with the international community at an unprecedented level. He said the constitution consultation process towards the 2014 democratic election had started and the government remains focused on implementing the roadmap for democracy and sustainable socio-economic development.
He said the government has received the full support of most members of the United Nations for the roadmap.
“With the recent conclusion of the UN Needs Assessment Mission and the visit by the Forum Ministerial Contact Group, we expect to remain fully engaged with and receive the full support of all members of the international community on our way forward to democratic elections based on what is best for Fiji and its people,” the Prime Minister said.

THE AUSTRALIAN-FIJI DISCONNECT.  Read about it in Graham Davis's Grubsheet

PETITION AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) DECREE 2012. "We the undersigned hereby affirm that the Public Order (Amendment) Decree 2012 (POAD) must be removed immediately to effectively engage all stakeholders in a democratization process environment." NGOs that have signed so far are CCF, FWCC, FWRM, FEMLINK, Interfaith, ECREA National Council of Women,Soqosoqo Vakamarama, and the Methodist Church. It is a pity most are also decidedly anti-Bainimarama government. A more representative mix would have been more persuasive.

CCF, that is organizing the petition, may have taken its bridge-building role too far. Its non-specific reference to "a democratization process environment" (and not the constitution and electoral reform process) will attract anti-Bainimarama people but they could also use CCF and the petition as rallying points against constitutional and electoral reform. These organizations must be constructively engaged in the constitution dialogue, and not sit obstructively out on the side as Qasase, Chaudhry, the Methodist Church and some of them did during the NCBBF consultations that led to the People's Charter.

FIJITODAY. Readers will know I think FijiToday is the more fair anti-government blog, though it's probably more accurate to say it is the only one. It's style is to add a heading to an article already published, usually in the Fiji print media. In doing so, of course, it adds a twist to the story as these two recent headings show:

"Government a reluctant provider of aid for its own people." I don't know what was "reluctant". Some 18% of the total aid money (most was from Aust and NZ paid into the Red Cross) was paid into the PM's fund and this 18% was given out as food and other relief aid to families. Local people were the main contributors to the PM's fund. They do not have the resources of Aust and NZ. And there was no more in the fund. Government, of course, will pick up far larger bills to repair the infrastructure damage. And where will Aust and NZ be then?This is not a competition between aid givers but I think it a little deceptive of FijiToday to have given its post the heading it did.

The other heading read: "Fiji Police Force’s “professional assessment” was that it was unsafe for a gay march ……but we CAN control the 800,000 other citizens." The twist here is that the Police had a simple choice: ban the march because of security, or call in police (and military?) reinforcement to protect the marchers. They do not ask: protect from whom? Who might the attackers be? Or ask about the motivations and political affiliations of those who may have verbally or physically attacked the marchers. Tolerant as FijiToday and other anti-blog pretend to be, I suspect a fair number of those most likely to have attacked the marchers would have come from their own ranks.

Saturday 19 May 2012

Lockington's Everyday Fiji ... Life Goes On


Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in Fiji. I thank Allen 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.
                     Hope of Progress

I hope there'll be positive progress in the Constitution process, and thatgovernment will soon appoint more civilians to head the various posts in government, rendering the situation — government of the people.

 And as for complacency, bureaucracy and procrastination in government, I sincerely hope it will be a thing of the past by the next general elections.  If you compare the services of a private company to that of some government offices, the private companies have far better customer service.

It is true that some government departments have improved, but others need a very healthy dose of pure adrenaline (or something stronger) to keep them moving, with staff  not forever coming in late and leaving early.

One of the things I hate about dealing with a government department is when I am told that the person is in a meeting, out,  or "gone to the bank."  Meetings, though part of official business, should not so disable services that customers are made to wait for hours  or come back the next day.

If we can get these improvements and others in place over the next two or so years, we will have elections— and an efficient and able civil service— in 2014.

Police Confessions


                                                           By Taveuni

A comment on Fiji’s supreme court decision last week to turn down the appeal by Dip Chand of Rakiraki who was convicted of killing three sisters in June 2005, and imprisoned for five  years.


The primary basis for the original conviction and the recent rejection of the appeal is a confession made by Dip Chand to the police. The supreme court judges also referred to some circumstantial evidence but the print media did not provide details of this. Some DNA evidence implicated him to the crime but how rigorously this evidence was examined is not clear.

My main concern is our police and the way in which confessions are obtained, and then used in our courts to convict people.

Poverty and Destitution

Fr Kevin J. Barr

It was of great concern to learn that the Ministry for Social Welfare plans to remove over 3,000 recipients of the Family Assistance Programme (FAP). The Permanent Secretary, Mr Govind Sami, was reported as saying that they were disqualified on the grounds that they “were no longer eligible to receive welfare assistance” as per the existing social welfare criteria.

A Journalist's Lot is Not a Happy One

A personal note
Years ago I was a cadet reporter on the Christchurch Star-Sun. I was 20 years old, had been round the earth one and a half times, and I had good university passes in English and Geography. I'd dropped out of History and Economics because I needed to work to live. I spent two months as a copyholder in the proofreading room and when I was eventually allowed to report anything it was the AGM of the Shirley Bowling Club.  My story and all subsequent stories were closely scrutinised by the sub-editor before it went to press.  I became a journalist for the interest, the glamour, the salary and the career prospects. 

How does my experience compare with typical reporters in Fiji?

Rotuma Day Address by the Chief Justice


I'm  a little late in publishing it but the CJ's words are still very pertinent
 

Emerging Investigative Journalism

EMERGING INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM 'CULTURE' FEATURED IN LATEST PJR

AUCKLAND (Pacific Journalism Review / Pacific Media Watch): Universities are part of an emerging investigative journalism culture that is pushing boundaries on models of collaboration and international inquiries, say the editors of the latest edition of Pacific Journalism Review.

Friday 18 May 2012

Aust NZ Will Help Voter Registration

MEDIA RELEASE: AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND VOLUNTEER TO HELP IN FIJI VOTER REGISTRATION

Experts from Australia and New Zealand, facilitated by their respective governments, will work with the Fijian government to register its voters for the national election scheduled in 2014.  They will join a logistical expert from the RFMF in creating a deployment plan for the upcoming electronic voter registration (EVR) period scheduled to begin in early July.

 “For the first time in Fiji’s history, the Bainimarama Government is guaranteeing universal suffrage- one person, one value, one vote,” said Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. 

“Comprehensive and thought-out logistical planning is necessary to ensure that each and every Fijian has the opportunity and ability to register.”

With a population of slightly less than 900,000, spread across more than 110 islands, the scale of this undertaking is immense. The logistical and technical requirements for such a process, most notably transportation considerations, will be complex. Additionally, more than 1,000 Fijians will have to be trained to assist in the process.

“The involvement of outside expertise demonstrates once again that the Fijian government is willing to work with international partners for the benefit of all Fijians,” the Attorney General said.

“The combination and collaboration of these partners will help ensure the best possible results in the upcoming voter registration.”

The logistical team will be headed by Major Isoa Loanakadavu of the RFMF, who will be joined by William Hogan, an Australia-based electoral operations consultant with the UN/UNDP, and Mark Jones, Manager Operations at the Electoral Enrollment Center in New Zealand. This team will work in collaboration with the Canadian  EVR firm CODE, Inc.

The electronic voter registration will begin July 3rd in Suva, where the Prime Minister will receive the first voter registration card. Registration will run for eight weeks at centers across the country.

For more information on Fiji's upcoming constitutional consultations or elections, follow Fiji on Twitter @FijiRepublic or on Facebook.

Government Response to March Cancellation

MEDIA RELEASE: STATEMENT BY THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL

The following statement was released by the Fijian Attorney-Genral Mr Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum :

The permit for the LGBTIQ march was cancelled by the police, the authority authorized to grant permits, following their professional assessment.

The Bainimarama Government strongly stands by its policy of non-discrimination. The cancellation of the permit does not in any way reflect a change in this policy.

The Bainimarama Government has put in place measures that assure that there is no discrimination between one group and another; one Fijian and another. Every Fijian is treated equally under the law.

In a clear break from previous governments, it is the Bainimarama government that has institutionalized non-discrimination by changing the policies of the past and enacting legal reforms insuring equal rights for those suffering from HIV-AIDS, victims of domestic violence and establishing gender neutrality in the law.

-ENDS-

News and Comments Friday 18 May

WEEKEND READING  • Allen Lockington Column • Police Confessions • Poverty and Destitution • A Journalist's Lot is Not a Happy One • Emerging Investigative Journalism

SIR MOTI TIKARAM
. "My beloved uncle and mentor, Sir Moti Tikaram (a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of Fiji, former President of the Fiji Court of Appeal and Fiji's first Ombudsman) passed away last night in Suva, Fiji. May his soul rest in peace." - from Julian Moti QC

AUSTRALIA'S CARR SOURS JAPAN-FIJI RELATIONS.  The Japanese government had invited PM Bainimarama to an international conference in Japan until Carr, probably fearful of losing critical trade union support for the struggling Labor government, persuaded Japan to withdraw the invitation. Click here to see what Grubsheet says.

A GOVERNMENT POLITICAL PARTY FOR 2014?  Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said there have been no discussions within government about forming a political party.

This, of course, does not mean discussions may not be held in the future. But a better option might be some accommodation with other political groups or parties, leading into the elections with a party of national unity.

THE FIJI LABOUR PARTY has refuted the A-G's claim that political parties have always contested elections with ethnic agendas, saying the FLP was founded on multiracialism and the party fought elections on issues rather than a race in 1999, 2001 and 2006. The FLP also criticised the high proportion of Taukei in Government appointments.

WAQAVONOVONO SAYS YOUTH MAY DECIDE 2014 ELECTIONS, a youth NGO spokesman, Peter Waqavonovono,  says many young people want new faces in parliament, and with a lowered voting age and 60% of the population under the age of 35, youth could be the decisive factor. Radio NZI reported him to have said, “A lot of young people, they are very well-educated. They are almost, like, bought by very liberal ideas, democratic principles, so a lot of these young people will vote for any political party or leader that can promise them a future that’s safe, that’s secure for every individual.” He says political parties appear to be gearing up already to attract the youth vote.

NEW MINIMUM WAGES. A new national minimum wage to cover workers not represented by unions or wages councils will be announced soon but it will be below the current poverty line of $185 a week.Wages Council chair Father Kevin Barr said the Wage Councils are also working towards a wage increase for workers covered by the garment, security, wholesale and retail, road transport, manufacturing, mining and quarrying and building sectors. The ten Wages Councils, that each comprise two employer, two worker and two independent representatives, represent over 60% of those in full time employment. See Weekend Readinig tomorrow, Poverty and Destitution.

POLICE CANCEL GAY MARCH to protect the marchers. This was after the  Fiji Sun announced,  "Today, our gay community will stand up against discrimination and promote awareness.They will march through the capital city beginning at 5:30pm from the Suva Flea Market to Sukuna Park.The march against homophobia and transphobia hopes to address the issues faced by this minority group." See earlier posting, "Homosexuals are Citizens, Too."

MEDIA RELEASE: FIJI POLICE FORCE CLARIFIES PERMIT CANCELLATION. The following statement was released today by the Fiji Police Force: The Fiji Police Force today reversed an earlier decision to approve a permit application to march by the Oceania Group. Police Commissioner Brigadier General Ioane Naivalurua said reversing the decision took into consideration the safety of those that wanted to march this morning, which is why he directed an immediate review of the permit application. Earlier on there were also some concerns raised about safety.“Recent attention towards the group’s decision to hold a march today has influenced my decision to cancel the permit”, Brig-General  Naivalurua said.“At the end of the day, the safety of all Fijians is the main priority for the Police Force”. Brig-General Naivalurua said that as a non-discriminatory organisation, the Fiji Police Forces’ decision to cancel the permit was only done so in the interests of all Fijians.

SOLDIERS FOR PEACEKEEPING. Eight soldiers leaving to help UN Sudan peacekeeping.

MERE SAMISONI. The defence lawyer representing businesswoman Mere Samisoni has asked the court for the Director of Public Prosecutions Office and investigating officers to release her diaries and cheque books if they are not being used in investigations. It is alleged that along with others she "conspired to overthrow by force of violence the Government of Fiji" last year.

Homosexuals are Citizens, Too

                                 By Fair Minded

“The last minute withdrawal of the permit to allow the sexual minority group (LGBT) to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia by the Fiji authorities reveals a reactionary and non-inclusive side of the current government.  A month ago the authorities including the police approved the permit application for the march to mark the day. Representatives of sexual minorities and human rights advocates spent a lot of time and resources in preparation for the event. However, on the eve of the peaceful walk through the city, the police cancelled the permit for ‘security reasons’. The organisers were told on Friday morning, just hours before the march was to take place n that the permit has been withdrawn.

In my view, and many agree with me, this action has nothing whatsoever to do with security but has much to do with a mindset that is intolerant towards sexual minorities and their treatment as equal citizens of the republic. Far from being socially inclusive there are powerful individuals in institutions such as the Fiji Police Force who are prepared to discriminate very openly, publicly and arbitrarily because they cannot be held accountable for their prejudicial action. This is clearly unacceptable.

Thursday 17 May 2012

News and Comments Tuesday 15 May 2014

Isaac Newton
The Constitution Process
Far more tact needed
 I don't know whether the process has started well or not but everyone involved —or who wants to be involved— needs to be very careful how they word their concerns and, before speaking, think how they'd like to be on the receiving end of their remarks. The last six years has understandably left many people with very thin skins. 

So far, much that has been said reminds me of the pugnacious and insensitive style of the old politics.

Both Professors Ghai and Murray pointed to the need to lift 'restrictive' legislation but Prof Ghai also complimented Government on its work so far.

Not so, some local commentators who jumped to endorse the professors' concern but had nothing complimentary and little positive to say about anything else.

NFP's Pramod Rae, for example, wants the terms of reference for the Constitution Assembly gazetted, which is fair enough, but did he need to add "so that there are no surprises and ambush later on." Couldn't that have been taken as read? As it was, it echoed earlier remarks by other parties that were destined to be poorly received by Government. Hence, the equally provocative reply from Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum when Rae asked the PM to "expand his Cabinet ... to a more representative civilian cabinet in consultation with political parties."

The A-G responded: "Now is the time for Fijians to contribute towards the constitutional consultation process...The inclusion of political parties (in Cabinet) will in no way increase the level of ‘fairness’ of the process. The Prime Minister has set out the process under which the constitutional consultations will take place. This process is transparent, fair and inclusive.This is not the time for "political gimmicks."

A reasonable response, I thought, about the prime need to focus on the constitution process, but was it necessary to talk disparagingly about political gimmicks?

There's nothing gimmicky about wanting more civilians in government, but to ask for former political parties to be involved may be asking too much.  This is about Cabinet, not the Constitution process, and so far none of the political parties have been able to make unbarbed, constructive comments about either.

I can see no reason why Government should give any of the established parties a place in Cabinet.  They need to re-make themselves as serious non-racial parties before this could happen.  But I'm sure there are worthy former MPs in these parties. They could be acceptable as individuals as could many non-politicians in civil society. The A-G could have replied along these lines, saying government would keep the suggestion in mind.

What is needed all round is more tact, for as Isaac Newton said, "Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.” In Fiji,  tact is also needed to develop trust and win friends.

FLP SAYS.  "The regime has a vested interest in the electoral outcome as it has made known its intention to contest the next elections. Simply because irregularities were observed in the last (2006) general elections is no excuse for the independence of the Office of the Supervisor of Elections to be discarded – that would be warped logic. The FLP has consistently maintained that, to be credible, the entire electoral process including voter registration, needs to be independent of the office of the Attorney General or any other arm of government." A fair enough request, I think, though it could have been worded just a less aggressively. For the full website statement click here. As previously stated, I think "discarded" too strong a word. Its work may simply have been "adjourned" until the work of the Constitution Commission gets underway.  Does any reader know the present status of the Elections Office? 

AIR PACIFIC is to change its name back to  Fiji Airways next year. In related news,  the A-G says the Qantas offer to sell its 46.3% shareholding for $70m is too much. 

PASSPORT WORRIES. After several delays, 40,000 new Fiji passports will now be delivered on June 20. Director of Immigration Major Nemani Vuniwaqa  told reporters on Monday that the passports were delayed "due to a technical failure in the lamination of paper". He said the French company Oberthur Technologies apologised for the delay.

EXPORTS TO USA.  Fiji could soon be exporting fruit and vegetables to the USA.

REHABILITATING FORMER PRISONERS. A small but important start because employment reduces re-offending.

Tuesday 15 May 2012

Constitution Consultation will Help Economy


The announcement of the Constitution consultation will have a direct bearing on improving Fiji’s economic growth, says Economist Professor Biman Prasad.

Professor Prasad said historically, Fiji’s economic growth has been linked closely with political stability. He said looking  back at Fiji’s economic history for the last 25 years, one would  note that there was an average of only two to 2.5 percent economic growth. Prof Prasad said the first period of political instability adversely affecting  the economy was only  offset when political dialogue commenced between 1994 and 1995.

“The result of that 25 years of stagnation is the poverty and other social issues that we have in the country today and not because of the past five years. I think we need to understand that.

“That is why, from an economic point of view, the announcement of the Constitutional consultations is a very, very good one. In fact, the start of the work on the Constitution itself can generate the kind of confidence in the economy which is needed.

“And, with proper process of taking this consultation forward and arriving at a Constitution on which there would be elections in 2014, we could set the foundations from this year for our economic growth,” Prof Prasad said.

He said that despite the fact that the country had been affected by the floods, from the last quarter of this year, the economic forecast was favourable.“We could be creating a foundation that at least by the last quarter of this year will see reasonable growth being achieved by 2013 leading up to 2014,” he said.

“We have had very poor economic growth over the last 25 years and when we look at the economic future of the country, we need to think about why we had not been able to achieve sustained growth in the country. I believe the answer in closely linked with political instability,” he said.

Prof Prasad also applauded the  2012 Budget, which he says was a ‘bold budget’.

“The intentions of the Budget were very good with huge tax cuts. The expectation was that there would be more investment and more consumption. That assumption rested on a number of things, one of which was confidence in the future.

“The Constitution consultation process is one step that could restore that kind of confidence over the next several months, which would help us to create an environment where we could increase the level of investment in the country,” he said.
By Jyoti Pratibha (slightly amended)

Monday 14 May 2012

News and Comments Monday 14 May 2012

Parliament
MISS FIJI AND ROTUMA DAY COVERAGE BLOCK OUT IMPORTANT POSTINGS.   A sad human drama and a happy national event have probably caused readers to overlook the other weekend readings. Of much longer national importance is the fate of the Constitution Commission.

 I encourage readers who have not already done so to scroll down to my article on the Commission.  It provides a good background to the constitution and electoral events that will unfold in coming weeks. It is no exaggeration to say the future of Fiji  will hang on the outcome.  See also Graham Davis's comments in Grubsheet.


Parmod Rae
OLD PARTIES PREPARE FOR TALKS. The National Federation Party (NFP), for long the party that represented most Indo-Fijians until it lost the remainder of its parliamentary seats to the Fiji Labour Party (FLP) in the 2006 elections, met on Friday to discuss its submissions to the Constitution Commission. General secretary, Parmod Rae, said: “The party’s preparations will involve extensive interactions with various interest groups and community leaders, getting opinion and advice on socio-economic issues as well as constitutional law and electoral systems. “The consultations will extend both within the party and with leaders of other like-minded parties to identify any common views.” The meeting listened to presentation on social justice issues by Father Kevin Barr, a presentation on proportional representation options by Father D G Arms, and an economic update by Professor Biman Prasad. After the meeting Pramod said the NFP has some reservations about the constitution process will help the constitution process but will "prepare our party submissions and make the submissions to the Constitutional Commission in due course.” He also urged the PM to have more civilian representation in his government.

Mick Beddoes
Businessman Mick Beddoes's United Peoples Party won two of the three General Voters* electorates (or 1.9% of all citizens registered to vote) in the old parliament and,thanks to one of the anomalies of the 1997 Constitution, the Leader of the Opposition. He says the people must fully in the process, have full access to the Commission and all submissions and presentations should be publicised, televised and recorded.  “So that when it’s all done, the other submissions can’t get slipped in through the back door."He also called for the withdrawal of the Public Order Amendment Decree (see A-G's response below).

* General voters,  a miscellanea of citizens who are not Taukei or Indo-Fijian, have traditionally voted with Taukei government parties and have been significantly over-represented in past parliaments. While representing 2.9% of the population, they had three MPs (4% of the seats) in the 71-seat parliament in 2006. And Mick Beddoes's UPP vote represented under 2% of registered voters. 

THE PUBLIC ORDER AMENDMENT DECREE.  The Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum,in response, said: "The Public Order Amendment Decree plays a central role in protecting free speech and encouraging civic debate.  It is in place to address overt acts of racial and religious vilification – which we have seen in Fiji's history – and to promote true dialogue among all Fijians. Any groups seeking to meet peacefully, without intentions to “[prejudice] peace, public safety and good order and/or…[engage] in racial or religious vilification" has not and will not be prevented by law from meeting." Adding, “It is the responsibility of media to accurately represent the realities of laws, regulations, and the media environment in Fiji”.
--Based on MOI.

PACIFIC'S FIRST AGEING POLICY.  Government and the UNFPA on homegrown policies to meet the needs of Fiji's elderly. The policy was announced in August 2011 and runs until 2015.

TUPOUOLA TERRY TAVITA, a constant critic of the Fiji government, is editor of the Samoan government newspaper and a close adviser to the Samoa PM. In this article he is taken to task by Graham Davis and, significantly, by  PasiMA's Lisa Williams-Lahari for his racist attacks on journalists with whom he disagrees. Graham writes: "How ironic that someone who campaigns so loudly for democracy in Fiji appears to have the racist traits that Frank Bainimarama is working so hard to eliminate."   A special thank you to you,  Lisa.
   
THE BIG PARTIES, the SDL and FLP, have had little to say so far on the Constitution Commission although there has been a meeting of the two leaders,  but FLP leader Mahendra Chaudhry says the electoral process should be independent of government. He was commenting on what he called the "discarding of the Office of the Supervisor of Elections."  I have been unable to confirm Chaudhry's allegation (can any reader verify?) but it is possible the Office's work has been put on hold as attention is directed to the work of the Constitution Commission.

OVERSEAS VOTERS? 'Basa' writing in FijiToday has raised the interesting issue of overseas voters which many countries allow if their citizens resident overseas have also spent a specified amount of time at 'home.' Check it out here.

MISS FIJI FOOTNOTE by Graham Davis

Saturday 12 May 2012

Rotuma Day 2012

Rotuman youths welcome the official party
For overseas readers Rotuma may need an introduction.  Rotuma is a small (14km2) volcanic island with rich soils and is located about 640km north of Suva. Its people have their own unique culture and language and today they are one of Fiji's two indigenous people. The island was ceded to Britain in 1881 and became a dependency of Fiji at  Independence in 1970. Under previous Fiji governments they were largely self-governing but they had one seat in Parliament and another in Senate. There are about 10,000  Rotumans, approximately 8,000 in mainland Fiji where, relative to their numbers,  they have made major contributions to society and the economy. Since the 2006 Coup the Bainimarama has sought to promote development in Fiji's outer islands and a large sum of of money has been sunk into the Rotuman economy.  The island  is now an official port of entry, communications have improved with mainland Fiji,  and  root crops are now being exported to nearby Tuvalu.  


Torika Steps Down — and Up, in My Esteem


From Mai Life Face Book.  My only comment is 'How sad! Torika seems to be an exceptionally talented, wise and mature young woman who, I'm sure, will go places far higher that a Miss World competiton.' Loloma yani, Torika.  Croz

STATEMENT 12th May 2012, 2pm

Re: Miss World Fiji 2012 Pageant

I would like to state that I have had no involvement in any of this underhand process and that I have been blind to this entire drama going on behind the scenes. I had no knowledge of any pre-selection or pre-judging. I had no intentions of doing anything sneaky or wrong and like the other contestants entered the competition for what I believed to be the right reasons - to be an Ambassador for Fiji and raise money for charitable causes.

Lockington's Everyday Fiji ... Life Goes On

Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in Fiji. I thank Allen 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.


Hospital Services

Would the Ministry of Health consider having a paying section at its hospitals?    They already have paying wards. What about a paying section for the General Out Patients Department and Special Out Patients Department?

The Constitution Commission: No “Push Over” But it Will Have its Work Cut Out


By Crosbie Walsh

It's a pity the Pacific Forum foreign ministers visited Fiji when they did. Had they waited two weeks until after the arrival of Professor Yash Ghai they'd have been far more positive about the steps Fiji is taking towards elections in 2014 and, who knows, sanctions by Australian, New Zealand, the Commonwealth and the E.U. might have been lifted. Sanctions against the troubled sugar industry are especially worrisome because of the large number of people it employs and its importance to the economy. 

Prof Yash Ghai
Kenyan-born Yash Ghai is the chairman of the five-person Constitution Commission set up by the government that will do much to shape Fiji's future —and he is no push over.   In 2004 he resigned as head of the Kenya constitution review commission over delays brought about by that government; in 2008 he resigned suddenly as Special Representative for the UN Secretary General in Cambodia after bitter arguments with the Cambodian government, and last year he called for the impeachment of Kenya's President for lobbying against the genocide trials of his associates by the International Criminal Court. His appointment put an end to the speculation that the Fiji Government would dominate the Commission.

The Overseas Financial Institutions


CRITICISM OF THE INTERNATIONAL and REGIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Kevin J. Barr

Thousands of protestors at the recent Asian Development Bank’s 45th General Meeting in Manilla held posters calling the ADB “Asia’s Destructive Bank – Promoting Poverty in Asia and the Pacific”. 

At the same time the Asian Pacific Research Network (APRN) – a very credible organisation – issued a statement challenging the Asian Development Bank...

 “to promote rights and not just growth, genuine development and not just destruction”. The statement went on: "Development must enable the poor to claim their political, economic, social and cultural rights. ... History shows that ADB projects have beenin the interest of business and have resulted in spiralling poverty,marginalisation and worsening environmental degradation.”