Preferred PM, and Bainimarama's Performance : You've Got to Laugh

Most serious social scientists have doubts about the accuracy of public opinion polls. Their questions, questioning and sampling procedures and analysis are often faulty. In Fiji the ethnicity of the interviewer also influences replies. This may be the case with a Times-Tebutt poll put to 11256 (surely 1,256) Viti Levu people in December --- but the results are interesting nonetheless.

Preferred Prime Minister: Qarase 52% Fijians; Bainimarama 37% Indo-Fijians. Qarase 34% Females; Bainimarama 27%, Males 28% each. General Voters were 23% for Qarase and 20% for Bainimarama.

None of these figures added up to 100% because 18 other people were also mentioned as preferred PM (how much they polled was not disclosed) and 20% "did not know"(further reducing its value). But with Sevens rugby icon Waisale Serevi fourth behind former PM Mahendra Chaudhry (8%) one must suspect a sample bias towards humorous pollsters.

Possibly more reliable were the results on Bainimarama'a performance: Overall - Approved 48%, Disapproved 22%. Fijians - Approved 35%, Disapproved 34%. Indo-Fijians - Approved 64%, Disapproved 9%.

Mike Beddoes must have been asked to comment. He said Qarase is the "choice of the people" and Bainimarama's support is mainly from Indo-Fijians, adding, apparently quite seriously: "I am humbled and honoured to have my name up there with a legend like Serevi and all the other good citizens named in this poll." He polled 1%.

Others mentioned as preferred PM were Mahendra Chaudhry, Sitiveni Rabuka, Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, Bernadette Rounds Ganilau, Poseci Bune, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau (or was it Ratu Epeli Ganilau?), Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Wadan Narsey, Krishna Dutt, Vijay Singh (the golfer?), Kaliopate Tavola, Petero Mataca (the RC Archbishop), Ro Teimumu Kepa, Nazhat Shameem, Mere Samisoni.