Ramadan, Rumours, Governance, Lawyers, Australians Turn Cheek, Shipbuilding, Soldiers, PINA & PacMA

MUSLIMS CELEBRATE. Fiji's 55,000 Muslims are observing the month of Ramadan which started on August 10th.

THIS WEEK'S RUMOURS.  There would still be anti-government rumours, of course, even without the Public Emergency Regulations (PER)  but with PER in place it takes that much longer to refute them before they have achieved much of their purpose: to discredit, distract and destablize governnment.  The absence of "free airwaves" also makes the task of checking on the reliability of the rumours much more difficult.

This week's rumours raised questions on whether the government's Roadmap really existed; the Military Council had called for Bainimarama and Sayed-Khaiyum's resignation (always a popular one when they are both overseas); the PM and other Cabinet members with more than one portfolio were "double dipping," and  whether the Attorney-General's Aunt was involved in corrupt practices. I wonder what next week will bring. It's already started with a comment to this post: "Where is Teleini? He has disappeared faster than the natadola communique?" Should be Teleni.  But nice try. Anything else to distract me?

VISIBLE GOVERNING. The PS for the Public Service, Parmesh Chand, says that the visibility of the role and services of respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies is steadily improving. This has been helped by Civil Service Public Week, the Agriculture Show, strengthened rural development machinery and the on-going emphasis by the PM that civil servants should reach out to as many people as possible, particularly those in the rural areas.  The Government Information & Referral Centre in downtown is also playing its part. Seven Ministries and Departments have already exhibited their programmes at the downtown facility.These activities also help Government to get a better feel of public perceptions and the types of assistance they require to improve their livelihood.  -- based on 2010 No:1221/PSC.

These activities stem from the People's Charter general provisions on governance and the Roadmap's more specific targetting.  I hope soon  to have one or more posts that will explain the Charter, the Roadmap and the Strategic Framework for Change structures and functions.

DORSAMI NAIDU FOUND GUILTY. Fiji’s Independent Legal Services Commission has found lawyer Dorsami Naidu guilty of complaints of unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct. Commissioner John Connors stated details of a total of 18 complaints against Naidu, two of which Connors said were withdrawn because of the unavailability of the complaints.Seven complaints were dismissed. Among the complaints proven against Naidu were five of unsatisfactory professional conduct and two complaints of professional misconduct. Under one of the complaints of unsatisfactory professional conduct, Connors said Naidu billed an estate the sum of $3,750 when the legal services rendered did not justify this amount “falling short of the standards of competence and diligence that a member of the public is entitled to expect of a reasonably competent or professional practitioner”. In another instance, Naidu prepared a sale and purchase agreement for a 10-acre piece of land in Nadi, failing to inform the buyer that the land was co-owned. Naidu is the President of the Fiji Law Society and an outspoken critic of Goverment. The charges against Naidu are part of ongoing investigations resulting from public complaints against lawyers.

SUNIL KUMAR ACQUITTED. Former Nausori Magistrate Sunil Kumar has  been acquitted of trying to prevent the course of justice after it was alleged that he had tried to deter police officers in Nausori from booking anyone for any traffic offence in the Nausori area and allegedly making certain comments in open court.

WHOSE BLUFF? WHOSE CHEEK? Interviewed by ABC, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith was asked "what do you propose to do to try to advance your agenda with Fiji for a return to democracy, because clearly at the moment Frank Bainimarama is heading a long way away from Australia?"  Smith replied:

"Yeah that's regrettable, I mean we will continue, despite any number of rebuffs, continue to try and get a dialogue going with the Commodore and with the interim administration in Fiji to bring Fiji back to democracy and respect for human rights. There's unanimity amongst the Pacific Island Forum leaders that Fiji's suspension has to continue until they return to democracy. The same with the Commonwealth. But we've got to find a way back to a dialogue and we will simply redouble our efforts. It would have been the easiest thing in the world to respond in kind when Commodore Bainimarama expelled our acting high commissioner, but I didn't want to leave our professional diplomatic relationships with Fiji unrepresented in Canberra. So I turned the other cheek on that matter. It's simply a matter of us keeping at it. We are worried about Fiji moving further into an isolationist position, and in my conversations with the leaders of the Pacific and Vanuatu, we all believe absolutely in the need to just continue our efforts for a dialogue to bring them back to their full standing as a democratic Pacific nation."

SHIP BUILDING POTENTIAL. On his return from China and talks with China's largest shipbuilding company, PM Bainimarama is hopeful that Fiji will once again build its own ships and that Fiji Ships and Heavy Industries Limited will become the top shipbuilding company in the Pacific.

MORE SOLDIERS TO TRAIN IN CHINA. Another result of the PM's recent China visit is that more officers will probablt soon be receiving specialised training in China. The trip was fully funded by the Chinese Government as Commodore Bainimarama was the chief guest at Fiji’s National Day Celebrations at the 2010 Shanghai Expo.

PINA MORE MEMBERS THAN EVER. With 21 members, the Pacific Islands News Association has dismissed claims from the newly-formed Pacific Media Association (PacMA) that they only have a handful of members across the Pacific, and mainly from Melanesia countries. PacMA was formed because some members, notably from Samoa and Cook Islands, thought PINA was not sufficiently critical of Fiji's media restrictions and the Bainimarama government.

However, PINA Manager Matai Akuola says PINA is just doing things differently. "The statement put out by the PINA President is that we are not wrong but are doing things differently. In regards to media freedom we are having dialogue with governments and no longer are we putting out statements to please some people. We are working and having dialogue with government we’ve had meetings with the current Fiji government. So, that a progress. That is a move forward. That’s why we are saying we are not wrong we are just doing things differently."