WHAT Needs to be Done Before the 2014 Elections. Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said Government had an unswerving commitment to holding general elections in 2014.
”The timeframe takes into account the necessary reforms needed to be carried out for the future good of Fiji; the drafting of a new Constitution, which will also contain new electoral provisions with the fundamental democratic tenet of one man one vote and removal of race-based constituencies; consultation with the people of all 14 provinces and Rotuma on the draft Constitution; the creation and demarcation of constituencies pursuant to the new Constitution; revision of the National Register of Voters on a house to house basis; new Constituencies Lists; all the preparations required for the conduct of the elections; and the actual holding of the elections.”
Referring to recent "unfortunate" comments by Samoa’s PM Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi about Fiji, he said notwithstanding the comments, the Fiji government “looks forward to the Pacific Way, continued cordial relations with the Prime Minister, government and people of Samoa”.
WANT a Laugh? Click on Namuamua Journal (left column, scroll down to Links to "Moderate" Blogs) to visit Tuilaepa Sailele's Facebook page.
NOT Idle PM Promises. Commissioner Eastern LtCol Iferemi Vasu said everything promised to improve the lives of villagers during the PM's tour of the Lomaiviti islands had to be delivered. Where individual ministries lack funding for community policies and development projects, government will find the funds needed. "The bottom line is that the work must be done.
Next stops on the PM's provincial tours are the Lau Islands to the far east and south of the main island of Viti Levu, and the single island of Rotuma to the far north.
IMPROVED Public Relations - at Last? Newly-appointed Acting PS for Information Sharon Smith-Johns is asking all government agencies to appoint media liaison officers to help "improve the government’s information dissemination machinery and ensure policy decisions, plans and programmes are accurately and quickly disseminated to the public in a systematic and consistent manner.” She intends to use the MLO network as a means to train and develop the capacity of MLOs in the area of public relations; an area long in need of improvement.
CUSTOMS Officer Jailed. Farzand Ahmed Khan, 29, was convicted of forgery and abuse of office and was jailed for six months for altering passenger Mohammed Aiyaz's records to help him leave the country while he had a court order against him restraining him from travel.
FIJI Sugar Corporation reports another loss.
THE Methodist Church has already spent $40,000 on legal fees for 27 of its members despite the offer by some lawyers to represent them for free.
SANDALWOOD is Back. One of the reasons why Europeans visited Fiji in the early 1800s may again become an important trade item. Government, through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, is hatching up ways to revamp the industry. Minister Luveni said yasi (sandalwood) farming has a huge potential. After 25 to 30 years one yasi tree can value $30,000; prices are good and there's a huge market. An expert from India in the country who will be helping the mnistry. She said the response from Kioa islanders had been positive. “This development will see the empowerment of men and women in rural and remote areas. It will generate economic growth and employment for our people,” Dr Luveni said.
TERMITES Operation Kadivuka, funded initially with $177,000, set up to eradicate and prevent the spreading of the termite to other parts of the country starts this week. Update.
7 comments:
With everyone in government already fearful of making a decision and constantly trying to second guess the dictator and his AG, the idea of appointing "media liaison officers" at individual department level is ludicrous. These people will be doing little more than issuing the most anodyne news releases on behalf of their immediate masters and will do nothing to solve the regime's PR problems. Sharon Smith Johns is creating a whole new tier in the civil service when what's needed is a crack, centralised PR operation close to the decision makers and capable of responding quickly to every crisis and opportunity. Not an encouraging start from someone who might know a thing or two about marketing but clearly has no idea about journalism and PR. Your confidence in this initiative, Croz, is misplaced.
The Methodist Church is being disingenuous when it says its legal bills are being paid out of existing funds and not from contributions from its members. Of course people giving their weekly soli are ultimately paying for the defence of the leadership. And how strange to prefer paying lawyers than accept the offers of free legal representation. The Rev Nawadra says he's aware of the offers of pro bono work but needs to discuss "some important issues" with those lawyers first. What issues? What possible reason would the church have to reject free representation? As usual, the miserable Fiji Times reporter doesn't bother to get this bloke to elaborate.
@ Anonymous. Anonymous comments are deleted.
i am amused to see people who are not fijian. that feel free to comment on issues that don't effect or impact on them and explain away this illegal military government as the necessary evil or better than the qarase government. presumably croz et al don't reside in fiji...are not resident or born in fiji, so of course he is free to trade off others human rights and see the cup half full. How lucky you are.I am just waiting hear... that some of his best friends are fijian ....blah blah blah. You are in no position to accept that censorship was or is required when the crisis was brought on by the military themselves.you have the gall to question others motives and the veracity of claims but have absolutely no way of knowing or checking any claims from the self interested military...that has granted itself and it's cronies and appointees immunity. how very fortunate.
@ Sara'ssista. Do I read you right? No one who is not Fijian, not born or resident in Fiji, and who cannot check the truth of what they write, has no right to comment on anything about Fiji?
you may of course pass comment, but you're commenting on issues where you appear to be very 'flexible' about human rights issues affecting ordinary fijians and what is happening to 'their country' , in your attempt to appear even handed....you minimise and explain away as necessary many, many issues that do not directly affect you, your personal safety, your income,your job, your individual liberty and fundamentally of having a government that you freely elect, without threats and free and fair judiciary. There are some non-negotiables in life, for everyone and you appear to characterise the past three years as being caused by vales that are foreign and imposed. Perhaps like 'animal farm'...there are some political systems in the region that are more equal then others, but that does for moment mean that there are any bigger issues then a return to constitutional government and parliamentary democracy...we do not need to play into this regimes hands by focussing on housekeeping issues of pot holes and some clerk going to jail for fraud...the issues are bigger than this...oh and also wold require a consequence to coup-making...or we will be dealing with this every decade ad infinitum .... to paint a picture of coups being part of the solution is garbage and they have their benefits...entirely misses the point ...fiji is a hostage and what happens when you deal with hostage takers...? suggesting that this bunch have their positives compared to the last bunch is entirely a waste of comment. Everything they have now touched is poison and everything will now have to be ratified by a recognised government as no-one will accept illegal decrees as any basis of law, whatever the self serving merit.
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