NEW BLOG SITE. Instead of summarizing the comments as previously intended, I have opened a new blog site, Na Sala Cavu? Which Path Forward for Fiji? Click here here to check it out how it looks for #1-3 . More details tomorrow.
FIJI SUN RISES AGAIN. The Fiji Sun 'article' lauding the PM, criticized so strongly by this blog and readers, was not a hoax but neither was it an article. It was, in fact, a letter to the editor published by the Sun last Saturday and uploaded, more of less automatically, to the Sun's website.
AUSNZ OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY, FIJI, PACIFIC. PM Bainimarama has condemned the PI Forum Secretariat for not including Fiji in trade and development talks being funded by the European Union. Bainimarama says the EU has provided funds through the Forum Secretariat for trade and development talks between Pacific Ministers and officials wanting to trade with the EU. He says Fiji should be part of these talks despite its suspension, but the Forum Secretariat is not including Fiji due to the influence of Australia and New Zealand. The EU has not cut off relations with Fiji.
MIKE BEDDOES CHALLENGES GOVERNMENT. Speaking to RadioNZI, ousted opposition leader Mike Beddoes challenged Voqere Bainimarama to stand in the 2014 Elections. He said, “I’m assuming I’m one of the people that he (Bainimarama) would rather not see get elected to the House. For me there is a very simple way to sort it out. He can assign someone to stand against me or he might want to stand against me. Or he might want to form a party and go to the polls because it’s not my decision, it’s not the politicians’ decision. It’s the people’s decision.” The PM has said he wants a new generation of politicians to stand in the elections. [Why did RadioNZI ring Fiji to get this response? Mike said nothing he's not said before so it's hardly news. The station can't even reply to my emails.]
SUGARCANE TALKS. A second round of consultations, involving the NLTB and landowners, to get leases renewed is expected soon.The first week-long round, involving the Committee for Better Utilisation of Land (CBUL) and mataqali, the extended family landowning units, concluded two weeks ago. Tavualevu mataqali in Ba Province had held a joint meeting and had concluded they needed expert advice to resolve a few issues. The Turaga ni Koro said "There are some landowners who have debts with NLTB because of unpaid leases and there is also the issue of the amount of land owned by each mataqali. Three mataqali's in the village own huge pieces of land whose leases will soon be expired and the others have smaller pieces of land." The PM said that if it previously took the NLTB two years to perform these tasks, he wanted it done in two months.
POT AND KETTLE. SAMOA MEDIA NOT FREE. With Samoan PM Tuilaepa berating Fiji on its media laws, this is what Savea Sano Malifa, founder and editor-in-chief of the Samoa Observer, had to say about media freedom in Samoa: "Tuilaepa should now turn those words of his into action, and remove all the restrictive policies threatening to stifle media freedom and freedom of information in his own country. He can start by repealing the Publishers and Printers Act 1992, declare defunct the policy allowing public funds to be used for the legal fees incurred by government leaders suing newspapers for defamation, and chuck out the ancient British law of criminal libel from Samoa’s law books. That would be a big improvement. And then to really convince (people that) he intends to make Samoa’s media “free, strong and robust” so that they can help him and his government 'tackle institutional corruption,' all he has to do is introduce an Official Information Act in his country."
11 comments:
it is my understanding that EU makes it own decisions in relation the region.Again more conspiracy theories. Maybe they have just made a decision and dug their heels in. Sound familiar. There have been NO concessions from this regime and yet again they expect everyone else to fold and bend to their whim and then pay the bills. LOL
Croz
Yesterday you tell us that the military junta's so called MSG plus meeting 'is a significant geopolitical move by Fiji that marginalises Australia and New Zealand'...now this gave us all a good laugh. Bainmarama and the coup plotters couldn't outstrategize a goat. Now today you tell us of the bleating whinge that the regime is not invited to the forum meeting on Pacific trade...it looks like the military junta might have been the ones marginalised???
But why would the junta be invited antway?
Fiji under coup control of this confused regime is no longer in the forum? As it is no longer in the Commonwealth and therefore not going to the games in Delhi - Perhhaps you and the junta you support just need to face the reality of the situation and move on...what do you think old mate?
@ The Max ... Is it really you or someone else who has stolen your pseudonym who posted the above posting that clearly attempts to sabotage genuine comment? I will remove it once other readers can see what you (or someone others) are trying to do.
@ Roy, Of course the EU makes its own decisions but do you really think Australian, NZ and other governments have no influence on their decisions? No conspiracy theory is needed to explain such linkages. But I agree the Fiji Government needs to be more flexible on some issues to win back EU support.
Roy, don't forget that most of the EU money would go to sugarcae farmers, not to Government to improve the sugar industry infrastructure. Do you want their lives (average weekly income $60)to be even more difficult?
Beddoes thinks he still is the leader of opposition, challenging the govt. Dont worry about standing in 2014 elections Mick. I am sure you wont even get a ticket. Retire gracefully son. You have done your bit, let some younger blood have a go at it.
it is a quite awful thing to say... but clearly fijians are not suffering enough under this regime as they would be doing something about it.Presumably thses canme farm,ers are seeing some benfit to supporting the coup makers. EU does not owe anything to fijian farmers and if they think that paying the farmers is going to give this regime some comfort to gloat about it , then clearly they can think again. Unfortunately fijian citizens bear the brunt of their militaries belligerance.
can i make a obvious comment. I not that with all the talk of the influence of aus, nz, us and eu in the region i glanced across to see the make-up of visitors to this and other websites and noted that no chinese (mainland ) even visit the site. over billion people and so much time invested by this regime in kowtowing to beijing and it seems none of their citizens could care less, worse taiwan is represented and you don't even recognise them. 89 people from india?? It gives a rather interesting perspective of exactly who really is even bothered to be involved in the region and who is aways expected to bankroll it.
Maybe that's because this site is in English, silly. I'm sure Croz would do a Chinese version if there's any demand and he can find someone in Horowhenua to translate everything gratis. Another non sequitur from the mother of all non sequiturs.
@ Samoa ... I've deleted your comment for obvious reasons.It is racist. Samoans are not as you describe.
so not even 5000 peopoe out of two billion in india and china are even interested??? over 200 from japan, and even more from hungary, i was not aware that they spoke english as a first language.
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