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Great Council of Chiefs
PM Bainimarama told FijiLive that with the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution, “there is no Great Council of Chiefs”.On whether the GCC will be part of the new constitution proposed by his government, Bainimarama said “I can’t say now”.The GCC had entrenched provisions in the 1997 Constitution with powers to appoint the President and Vice-President.
Comment: Letters to the editor thought the GCC should not be engaged in national politics as it had in the past, but thought the GCC had a important traditional role to play on matters concerning ethnic Fijians.
Methodists to Hold District Conferences
FijiLive reports that police have given the green light to the Methodist Church to hold individual district conferences on the condition that no two districts can merge. Districts are now free to have their own conferences and bazaars to raise money. Earlier, Government forcing the cancellation of this year's Methodist church's annual conference because it considered the agenda included political items and thousands of people at one venue to be unsafe. Last year over $2 million was collected. It is expected more will be collected this year because people will not have the expense of travelling to one venue.
Police Adopt Jesus Strategy
All police stations as part of the Police Christian Crusades are now answering the phone by saying “Praise the Lord. How may I help you?” Police say they are trying to change their image by adopting the Jesus strategy. --FijiLive.
Comment: I find this whole approach distasteful. Fiji is not a Christian state; the strategy runs contrary to the Government's stated aims of ethnic and religious equality; many policemen are not Christian, and many Christians would doubt the sincerity of such routine utterances.
No Amount of Pressure Can Deter Fiji
Fiji's Acting High Commissioner to Australia Kamlesh Arya has told a major conference in Australia saying that no amount of pressure can deter Fiji from having elections in 2014. The constitution will be changed despite the pressure from countries like Australia and NZ. Arya remains in an acting capacity despite requests to Canberra that his position be upgraded.
Australian Travel Ban Relaxed for Chaudhry. Why?
The Australian High Commission in Suva would not comment on why a former senior member of the government, Mahendra Chaudhry, was allowed to enter Australia. Fiji Village has asked whether the policy has changed and whether people are removed from the travel ban list when they cease to be in government.
The High Commission only said that travel restrictions against those responsible for the December 2006 takeover, and appointees of the government which includes Commodore Bainimarama, high profile coup supporters, ranking military officers from warrant officer rank and above, and their families, remain in place. It said the travel restriction includes other RFMF members but not their families, government ministers and their families, government-appointed senior public servants and government appointees to government boards. --Fiji Village.
Should ex-PM Qarase be Allowed to Travel Abroad?
A Fiji Live public poll asked "Should deposed Fiji PM Laisenia Qarase be permitted to travel abroad?" 33% said yes; 67% no.
MSG Chair Willing to Host Dialogue
The chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group and Vanuatu's Prime Minister Edward Natapei said he is willing to host a dialogue with different groups from Fiji. Natapei has told Radio Australia that it is too early to give up on Fiji, and thinks reconciliation with groups opposed to the government could help resolve the situation. He has started working with the Pacific Council of Churches, to try and get all the groups from Fiji together, including Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, and then host a reconciliation meeting in Vanuatu. He said reconciliation of the groups is needed but the question is whether the different groups are ready to participate.PM Bainimarama said he does not want to comment on the matter. -- Fiji Village.
Comment: Dialogue is necessary but Natapei is rather naive if he thinks groups opposed to the Government will voluntarily dialogue when they still have the support of Australia and New Zealand, and the chance of forcing Bainimarama to accept elections without prior electoral reform. Similarly, Government will not dialogue unless the opposition accept the need for constitutional change and electoral reforms before elections are held. The UN and Commonwealth have also said they will assist dialogue but Government is to put no constraints on discussion. Which takes us back to square one.
My view is that approaches should be made to the opposition to see what they are prepared to concede. Will they agree to scrap the Alternative Vote system, the abolition of race-bound communal electorates? Will they agree to each person's vote being of equal importance? The repetition of demands to Bainimarama have achieved nothing, and probably made the situation worse.
1 comment:
Kamlesh Arya is quite right to say that no elections should be contemplated in Fiji until an acceptable constitution is in place which treats every citizen of the country equitably (including their eligibility for posts of President and PM). Never again are elections which have been riddled with corruption to be conducted in Fiji with the complicit acceptance of Australia and New Zealand (or any other democracy in the so-called 'Civilised World'). Our democratic rights are no different to those of any other fully-fledged democracy - are they? Be assured that some of us have now found the confidence and the determination to see an amelioration of our standing and a refusal to be used again by these two neighbour countries for their own ends. We shall take on the corrupt and still free persons who rattle around having believed that impunity would 'let them off'. No more reigning impunity for the major perpetrators of the 2000 coup, the plotters of bombings and politically-motivated killings. All must now be investigated and charged with their criminal undertakings. Their socially and business-connected heavies-behind-the-scenes need to be aware: no statute of limitations on your malfeasant conduct: 2014 ia a long way off? Reconciliation is a laugh with all this work still-in-hand. Why reconcile with the alligator waiting to bite off your hand?
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