Time for a fresh approach Australia and Fiji relations post-abrogation by Richard Herr
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http://www.mediafire.com/?f1zmzjnzomkThis is a link to the full report.
Background
The abrogation of Fiji’s 1997 Constitution on Good Friday 2009 has profoundly altered the views of most observers on the restoration of parliamentary democracy in Fiji. The government of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has publicly charted a new course involving constitutional change and no elections before 2014. As much as critics may doubt that the new roadmap announced by Bainimarama in July 2009 will be followed, the government insists its timetable is non-negotiable.
Short of regime change in Fiji, the choice for Australia in terms of relations with the Fiji Government for the intermediate future is
either to wait for events to take their own course or to re-engage at a political level. The first option risks exacerbating the tensions that
currently exist. The second requires a change of tack to enable both sides to find a new and effective way to enable discussion of mutual
interests to resume, including the return to parliamentary democracy.
This paper argues that it is time for a fresh approach by Australia to prepare the grounds for a more effective re-engagement with the Government of Fiji. For this to occur, there’s a need to eliminate some of the more important irritants that have festered for three years and have intensified feelings of distrust within the
Fiji Government.
Professor Herr makes five recommendations:
Click on the link above to see his reasons.1. Rebalance the regional relationship
2. Avoid undiplomatic language
3. Abandon indefensible travel bans
4. Relax defence bans
5. Cooperate on non-traditional security issues
Photo: tasmaniantimes.com
13 comments:
Finally, some sense on Fiji from an Australian academic who knows his stuff and knows the country well. Reading this document, you get the feeling that it will eventually be regarded as the historical turning point in Australia's re-evaluation of its Fiji policy. Everything about it is refreshing, balanced and sensible. There's a notable absence of finger-pointing and both sides can adopt its recommendations without losing face. Let's hope the policy wonks in Canberra sit up and take notice and that the Bainimarama regime takes up the challenge too. As Professor Herr says, both sides need to make compromises to get the relationship back on track. Already, you can see from media coverage of the report this morning that the Professor can expect a hard time from the same tired, old quarters. Here's what one of the miserable Fiji hard-liners at the ANU had to say in The Australian:
Jon Fraenkel, senior research fellow at the Australian National University, said: "Herr tries to make out that the key struggle is between Fiji and Australia/New Zealand, whereas in fact it is between Bainimarama and the Fiji people, whom he will not allow to vote until 2014."
If that's all Fraenkel can find to criticise about Herr's commendable work, then we know it must have hit the mark. Nothing about the suggestions he makes, just the same old pathetic whining from someone without the wit to offer any constructive ideas himself. Excuse me Mr Fraenkelstein, but if the key struggle is between Bainimarama and the Fiji people, how come there's no sign of that struggle except in your head? You're just like Brij Lal and the other muddle-headed johnnies in your department - marginalised to the point of irrelevance.
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I've been amazed by the way in which this blog and many of the people commenting accept Frank Bainimarama's stated goals at face value.
He claims his motivating aim is a vision of a race free Fiji. There will be no more racial discrimination in the constitution he intends to create. But hang on a moment. Will this new constitution abolish the military or at least attempt to impose strict civilian control on its leadership?
If it fails to do both of these things, Fiji can never have race free politics. So long as the army are a 99 percent ethnic Fijian institution, a race free constitution means nothing.
Don't tell me that past critics of the army's blatant ethnic bias now accept the old lie that Indo-Fijians just don't want to enlist. It's no secret that life in the Fijian army is pretty much intolerable for all except a token few Indo-Fijians who are accepted into officer training.
And then there's issue of land. Frank has done nothing to solve the tenure/non-renewal problem. The plan that seems to be hatching somewhere in the system is for large farms to be established using a high level of mechanisation. These will probably be owned by FSC/native owner corporations. The days of the small farmer are finished.
Frank Bainimarama will do or say whatever he has to in order to keep his grip on power but it's mystery to me why anyone believes him.
Corruption fighter, good for you for injecting a tone of scepticism into the debate about Fiji under the dictator. I can't help being as irritated with the deification of Frank as I am with the hysteria of his opponents. Preaching the virtues of a corruption-free multiracial future is commendable but we all know talk is cheap. We need to see concrete achievements to match the rhetoric and until that happens, I think it's great that people like you remind us of the fact. I think I'm like many people in Fiji in being willing to give Frank the benefit of the doubt. But if he and his kaivata betray that trust and turn out to be just like the others, God help them. I think one of the strengths of Richard Herr's report is that while you could argue that he's been a lot more sympathetic to the regime than other Australian commentators, he's lobbed some very pointed shots in Frank's court. All of us will be looking at both sides - and not just the Aussies - to work their way out of the current impasse with understanding and goodwill.
@ five finger Tango..
Yes, talk is cheap especially when posted on blogsites such as these by people like you far removed from the action.
The proof of the pudding is to go to Fiji and see the concrete evidence for yourself. Talk to the people and understand how they feel about their country, how it is being managed, their lifestyles, their aspirations for the future and their impressions of their neighbours.
Talk is cheap.
This guy, Qanibulu, is getting on my nerves. So you're the only person close to the action? You're the one who needs to stop talking and start listening, pal.
@idiot watch..
Take a chill pill dude. Don't make it personal.
I don't think that any of the posters on this site who make comments in support of Frank are taking him at face value. I believe that the comments are based on fact. These facts include (just to name a few): the way the Qarase government behaved before the coup; the charter; establishing FICAC (as per the previous constitution but never implemented before); modernizing many laws including those against women; removing complaints against lawyers to an independent body (how ludicrous that the law society could properly investigate there own members with the politics involved); extremely sound financial handling pulling Fiji out of the financial mess Qarase had caused with overspending; his handling of two natural disasters; his attempts to make a Fiji for all and remove racism; basically, the huge amount of work that has been produced by this government with 6 ministers versus 36 in the previous government. Remember the current government can really do what they want. They are a dictatorship. If they were really doing this for personal gain of power or money would they really be behaving they have been and producing the results that they have over the past couple of years. Although a coup is a drastic step, Frank had no other choice with the situation Qarase had caused. One further reason I support his work so far is that he appears to be way more honest than any politician I have ever seen, even if this has caused him lots of problems on the PR and diplomatic fronts.
MJ, unfortunately there's a a fine between honesty and stupidity when it comes to some of Frank's utterances. I happen to think he's ( mostly) commendable too and much of what he's done has been long overdue. But I sometimes cringe when I hear members of the regime say things that are just plain idiotic. ( Driti for example ) Too often, they take one foot out of their mouths only to put the other one in. You can do good and still be smart about what you say, avoiding embarrassment to the country and yourself.
@words matter..
Hey if you cringe with embarassment go hide under the nearest rock.
These guys are not seasoned politicians - they are doing the best they can under difficult circumstances, achieving amazing results given the limited resources at their disposal as the previous poster correctly pointed out. Few had given Frank much hope two years ago of controlling the situation but he has done an admirable job in office. He has weathered the worst.
Time is the great equalizer.
Furthermore, the dilemma facing the leaders of Oz and NZ is this - how do you save political face in the process of bringing Fiji back into the fold?
They must realise by now that Frank is in this for the long haul and that his integrity will no longer be in contention as 2014 approaches.
Do you try to salvage whats remaining of a smouldering bridge or do you just write it off and let it sink.
@qanibulu
Talk is not always cheap in Fiji today. If you criticise the regime or read blogs criticising the regime you can lose your job. People who think this is alright so long as it only affects people they disagree with are being very short-sighted.
Let's say that Frank has a heart attack or walks in front of a bus, someone will replace him and that person will be chosen by the military. A Teleni or a Driti could take over all the draconian powers and use them for their own agenda. Everyone could find themselves being forced to join the Teleni cult.
Bainimarama has promised many things to many people but all he's actually delivered so far are dictatorial powers.
So long as we have military dictatorship with a military that is 99 percent of one race, we have a recipe for disaster. If Bainimarama is serious about getting race out of politics he's got to start by changing the racial composition of the military. We all know the last passing out parade for army recruits showed an army as overwhelmingly indigenous Fijian as any at any time in the past.
@ Corruption fighter or is it the other way??
A lot of what qanibulu says is spot on. He may use colourful language but atleast he has the courage to call a spade a spade.
Yes Snoopy, you share Qanibulu's taste for colourful language and the courage to call a spade a spade. Just as well when you so regularly dig yourselves into a corner with your specious arguments.
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