This post is a summary of an exclusive interview by Samisoni Pareti of Islands Business with the Prime Minister's Office Permanent Secretary, Col. Pio Tikoduadua (photo), in which Tikoduadua spells out the functions of next month's nationwide dialogue forum and its relationship with the constitutional dialogue scheduled for between September 2012 and September 2013, exactly 12 months before the 2014 elections. Click here for the full article.
Next month's National Dialogue for Fiji’s Future (NDFF) will have an “open” agenda to be decided by the NDFF Secretariat and its yet-to-be appointed chair. People and organisations that participate will meet four basic prerequisites.They be forward looking, have the best interest of Fiji at heart, hold views consistent with the People’s Charter for change, will not have an outstanding case before the courts, and not represent a political party that espouses ethnic based politics.
Civic rather than political party participation is desired on the state of the nation and economic and political issues. "You can’t really separate political issues from the people’s discussions," says Tikoduadua."That is going to come through but as long as they don’t go in and try to further their own political party agendas. It is hoped the outcome will be previous support for “They can gauge their way from there and go forward. What we would like to see is for the forum to develop further into what could become a consultative body for the new constitution by way of input.” [It will be noted that former PM Qarase, who has a court case pending, and race-based parties, are excluded. It will be interesting to see how race-based parties are defined.]
The Constitution Dialogue Forum consultations during between September 2012-2013 will be extensive and not limited to political parties. Issues to be decided include the size of the new parliament, the appropriateness of a bi-cameral system, the length of a government's term of office, and systems of checks and balances. [It is probable that the political parties involved will not include the old race-based parties.]
The new Constitution will be in place by September 2013 at the latest and will be translated into the vernacular languages. Pocket-size editions will be be made widely available so that candidates and all citizens can familiarize themselves with its provisions.
[It will also be interesting to see how this enhanced sequence of popular consultations is received by Australia, New Zealand and the international community. India, the most populous Commonwealth country, has already indicated it will help in any ways it can to pave the way for democratic elections.]
1 comment:
It is most interesting to learn that a Civic-based consultation is to take place and so much earlier than formerly planned. It has mistakenly been determined previously that 'Civic Society' meant almost exclusively Non-Government Organisations. But Non-government organisations in Fiji have been held hostage to their donors: witness the Angenette Heffernan debacle and all those who got themselves unnecessarily and clumsily engaged there. NGOs are are only a fraction of 'Civic Society' and the arrogance of many (not all) has rendered their views irrelevant to a considered way forward for Fiji which is to truly inclusive and respectful of the views and aspirations of all Fijians for a better life for themselves and their descendants. Former politicians may howl at first at their obvious exclusion. In time, they will be obliged to come around, adjusting their thinking and their responses to the evolving 'Will of the People' for change and for progress.
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