RUMOURS OF MY DEATH HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED
Mark Twain said this; it could have been Voqere Bainimarama. It's pleasing to see so many anti-government people concerned about the health of the PM. First was their story, subsequently shown to be untrue, of his supposed collapse at Nadi on the way to China, and Jone Baledrokadroka's revelation that the PM suffers from a longstanding heart condition. This had me surprised. Why would the PM undertake so many gruelling journeys if his health was threatened, and continue a journey after he'd collapsed?
The official reason given for the PM's China visit was to meet with officials and investors of whom there've been a number in Fiji lately. But the rumours said he was in China for medical attention. One source even suggested he'd chosen China rather than India because he couldn't trust the Indians after he'd dismissed Mahendra Chaudhry.Their imagination had them seeing a masked Indian surgeon with scalpel poised.
Then came the "evidence" which on balance said Bainimarama must have had a hidden reason for his visit because they'd chosen not to hear his unhidden reason. They had not heard about him meeting any Chinese officials or investors, which a Chinese academic said was not at all unusual. Ambassador Jim Ah Koy was not involved in the visit and they said he did not know where Bainimarama was.The rumour-mongers thought this sinister. And they said there were no reports back of meetings with Chinese business people. In fact the online Fiji media and the Ministry of Information had published several.
Then, yesterday, a posting by Victor Lal on CoupFourPointFive, written in a sloppy style unusual for him, reported a "Chinese Embassy official in Suva who chose to remain anonymous" as saying that the PM was "very sick," and "other sources, especially in the Prime Minister’s Office, the likes of Ratu Epeli Ganilau and others are jumping ship because they are acutely aware of the dictator’s frail state of health." If Victor really wrote this article, his English has deteriorated.
"When asked why the dictator has stopped visiting India for treatment, the sources [my italics] in the Prime Minister’s Office claim that he fears that after he ‘liu muried’ his former illegal Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry by putting him on trial for fraud and money laundering, the Indian doctors might exact revenge by “administering wrong medicine to him”. The Chinese official was said to have asked: “Have you seen the Fijian leader on Fiji Television?” suggesting that the dictator is too frail to publicly show his face to the nation. Hence the explanation of why he will not deliver the Budget speech on Friday.
Finally, I was told to apologize to CoupFourPointFive because one of their rumours had proved true. I'm not sure which one, and it's certainly not this one, but who would congratulate a marksman for hitting the target once out of ten attempts? The big question is who is spreading these rumours and why.
Bainimarama speaking from China (and not the grave) at 4 o'clock this afternoon Fiji time said the rumours of his death "had been invented in New Zealand." He accused the New Zealand media of reporting unsubstantiated rumours that he had died from a heart attack. "I guess the rumours will continue seeing that they have not been able to achieve their aim in Fiji, so they will continue to assist their government in rumour mongering. It'll be a while before they can kill me, that's for sure."
Earlier today I received this email from Fiji that also suggested a NZ source:"You will probably hear or read this very soon that the PM has died in China. I just got off the phone to him, and he is in fine form. The rumours are coming out of NZ."
There is little doubt in mind about the sources. It's the blogs CoupFourPointfive, Luvei Viti (an ethnic Fijian thinktank and blog at Victoria University in which Elisapeci Samanunu plays a big part) and Sai Lealea's FijiCoup2006 blog. The mainstream media has understandably stayed clear of their "news."
I make no claim that I know why the PM extended his trip to China or why he will return to Fiji too late to deliver the Budget speech. But — and this is the important point — neither do the blogs, Victor Lal or the "Chinese Embassy official in Suva who chose to remain anonymous." I really cannot believe an Embassy official would be so indiscreet. The blogs' purpose is transparent. They are fabricating rumours to destabilise the Fiji government.
I do not believe them. They have cried wolf too many times. But I applaud their cunning in forcing authorities in Fiji to deny their rumours — and me to waste valuable time doing likewise.
PM REPORTS FROM CHINA. The PM has rounded up meetings with Chinese investors and interested parties in Shanghai over the last two days. Bainimarama is due to arrive in Fiji on Friday – although he has already indicated that he will not deliver the 2011 Budget address.
An aide accompanying the Prime Minister says Bainimarama today met with officials from the China Railway No.1 Construction company who are currently dredging the Rewa river and have been awarded the contract for Housing Authority buildings at the Tacirua Plains.
On Tuesday Bainimarama met officials from the Shanghai Urban Construction Ltd - a construction company currently in a consortium with Templetec and engaging in various construction and rehabilitation projects in Fiji.
Bainimarama says the visit has been very successful and has assured current and potential investors that Fiji remains a lucrative and safe destination for their investments.The PM adds his visit is indicative of the growing interest of Chinese investors in Fiji and Fiji's growing "investor confidence environment" which is being taken advantage of by many interested parties.
ACTING FINANCE MINISTER TO DELIVER 2011 BUDGET SPEECH. It's unusual but not exceptional that the Acting Minister http://www.radiofiji.com.fj/fullstory.php?id=32482 will deliver the budget speech. With the Cabinet cut two-thirds since the days of Qarase's 36-man Cabinet, most ministers are responsible for several portfolios. All budgets everywhere are team efforts involving public servants, economic and financial advisers, and the PM gave a number of hints about its main content before he left for China
FNPF'S HUGE CHANGE AROUND. The Fiji National Provident Fund has recorded a net surplus of $209.5 million for its 2010 financial year compared to its net loss of $181.2 million last year. The change around is mainly due to improved contribution collection and fewer withdrawals. Interest from its investment portfolio has been stable due to prudent investment decisions,and net assets have increased to $3.53 billion compared with $3.32 billion in 2009.
THIRD SUGAR EXPORT. The Fiji Sugar Corporation will export the third and last sugar shipment for the 2010 crushing season next week. It is expected that some 26,100 tonnes will be shipped from Labasa and Lautoka, Fiji sells its sugar to Tate and Lyle Refinery in London and has a contract to export a maximum of 300,000 tonnes of sugar annually until 2015.
CIVIL SERVICE CONTRACTS. All new civil servants and people taking up new positions in the civil service are now being put on three year contracts in accordance with last year's State Services Decree. PSC Commission Permanent Secretary Parmesh Chand said civil servants who do not get any promotions and remained in the civil service before April 2009 are still on open contracts with no specific period. The PSC has also re-engaged contracts for retirees who are needed to continue in certain roles after they turn 55.
FIRE AT SUVAVOU HOUSE. Today's small fire at Suvavou House where the Attorney-General and Registrar of Titles have offices caused no serious damage, and is not thought to be suspicious.
16 comments:
Croz
You have cleared the air. You should take over sharon's job as Sec Minfo? She is struggling and you have convinced me that all is fine with the junta and its efforts to propel Fiji forward as PER the roadmap. Well done Croz - where would the regime be without supporters like you and Allen?
The fact that even elements of the NZ media are today ridiculing Coup 4.5's Bainimarama deathwatch ( TVNZ: "Reports of his death are greatly exaggerated" ) should put paid to this latest rash of rumour mongering. Let's face it. Any respectable hack is only going to be conned once by those grotesque poseurs, Victor Lal and Jone Baledrokdroka, before making a mental note to never take them seriously again. One of these guys poses as a journalist, the other as an academic. But neither has the foggiest notion of the importance of accuracy and, sure as hell, neither can write. All the lightness of touch of Mein Kampf.
But did anyone notice how that even bigger poseur, "Pacific journalist" Michael Field, handled the whole episode over at Stuff NZ? Field was only too keen to fan this pathetic grassfire, even duping his bosses at Fairfax Media into running it as a headline in the middle of the Greymouth mining tragedy. It was yet another low point in this guy's unrelenting campaign of disinformation against the regime but perhaps Fairfax will finally get the message. They're having to give equal prominence to the "we wuz wrong" version of the story as the preposterous Field munches on a huge slice of humble pie.
Much as it's all been a bit distracting, the best thing this week is that Coup 4.5 has finally cooked its goose. It's credibility has been shredded while yours, Croz, has been enhanced because it was one instance in which saying nothing clearly proved to be the best course of action. Good journalism is about dispelling rumour, not peddling it. But, boy, didn't it upset those SDL ruffians when you so resolutely refused to run with the pack?
After all this, one thing at least is certain: Frank Bainimarama seems very much alive and enjoying all the attention while Coup 4.5 has succeeded in boring the rest of us to death.
Croz 4 Sec MINFO, I don't mind you having a dig at Croz but leave Allen Lockington out of it. You clearly didn't read his recent explanation as to where he sits or you wouldn't say what you have. He made it clear that he's giving voice to the small guy in Fiji who lives between a rock and a hard place and tries to manage as best he can. As far as I can discern, there's no evidence whatsoever that Allen is a regime supporter so why the gratuitous typecasting? Maybe he is, maybe he isn't but unlike you, he keeps his political opinions to himself.
J Baledrokadroka does not have any professionalism or ethics in him. And he was our Land Force Commander? He had failed a loyalty test in the militairy.
His blogs are riddled with lies and innuendo.
He doesn't have any traits of good leader - honest, fair minded, competent, forward-looking, inspiring, broad-minded.
As the Bible says "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?"
Mr Baledrokadroka will be the same.
there is no 'concern' from the anti-regime bloggers for the health of this interim military ruler. There is only suspicion and interest and a malevolent interest at that and in his case, proudly so.
Sara'ssista, thanks for making your mission so clear. Malevolent is the word, alright. I hate to say it but like Coup 4.5, you've become an unadulterated, 24 carat bore. Always Yap, yap, yap like a flea-ridden village dog. Can't you at least say something new or original for once? It's always the same recycled, yawn-inducing, utterly predictable drone. Par for the course at 4.5 but it sticks out like a dog's proverbial in the more rarified intellectual climate over here. In the spirit of trying to find the good in everyone, I guess we should at least be thankful that you seem to have stopped punctuating every mindless cliche with a ...
@Tedious you would expect that i would be wishing him well?? I am perfectly honest about my opinions and my hopes for Fiji and they don't include pandering to a military dictator or this regime. i am very hopeful thiat fiji will put this history behind them , but i am not the one who would prevent this in the hopes that the military entrench their position for eternity. There are some wonderful developments that are ocuring despite this regime and could easily have been developed with a government of national unity and with the full consent of fijians. There seems to be an obsession with coup apologists that this miltary option currently must be and can only be the only option available, it is not...believe me , the defense of this regime bores me no end. Looks like we will both be unhappy.
Sad sissta you say that there are some wonderful development happening despite the current regime. The fact is that many of these developments at the local level would not have happened if the current regime was not running the country! You are an apologist for the anti Govt bloggers who have proven themselves to ve severely lacking in credibility
@ Proud Fijian
firstly - you are not an ethnic Fijian.
More importantly, however, it might be useful for you and others to get used to Jone - he will be the next military commander under Qarase when the junta is removed - in the way things are going probably before Christmas.
As for the sad comments on 'credibility' - the anti coup/anti regime bloggers seem to have some powerful support - EU, Aust, US, UK, NZ....it is the regime that has no international credibility and sits with such wonderful dictatorships as Burma, North Korea etc...try and at least be honest to yourself...let us all work together to get Fiji back on track - a lot has been lost dince Dec 5 2006 but working together we can get back to normal.
There you go again, Sara'ssista, with your hackneyed adherence to racial separateness in talking about the need to get the "full consent of fijians" ( your lower case, not mine). We're all Fijians now, geddit? There's a new paradigm so it's you who needs to change and unfortunately, there's precious little evidence that you can.
The truth is that this racial mindset could never have been removed through patient negotiation and consensus, whether it's the i'taukei or the Kai Idia. It had to be torn down forcibly, institutionalised by authoritarian means and the seed of racial equality planted and then protected at gunpoint until it becomes strong enough to thrive on its own. That, in essence, is what is happening in Fiji.
Now, it may take a generation or more but there was no alternative. It was the racial supremacists who made this so, not ordinary, well meaning citizens who go about their daily lives craving equal opportunity for themselves and their kids. Laisenia Qarase was given this opportunity and blew it. There was no alternative in 2006 but to remove him, given his appalling agenda to free Speight and sequester more of the national cake for his own people.
Now, Frank may not be regarded in hindsight as a saviour because history is never that neat. But whatever happens, he'll be remembered as an indigenous Fijian who saw a brighter future for his country through inclusion than merely bolstering the rights of his own race. God only knows that Frank has his faults and his foibles. But give me that any day from what you offer - a return to the overt racism, pork-barreling and craven opportunism of the SDL.
@same old same old
Just let me get this right. We are all going to love each other because we have guns at our head? Yeh, right!
No wonder the games preparation in Delhi was a farce?
Guns at our head, it's just typical of you people to twist what's been said for your own political purposes.
The writer meant that the multiracial ideal needs to be protected by force at an institutional level. Obviously there's no point at aiming a gun at your thick head to force you to love your fellow citizens.
The great thing about the new Fiji is that your own bigotry and hatred is now personal, not state policy as under the SDL. You go on hating if you want. Even in a dictatorship, that's your choice.
@sara'ssista - You are an amazing piece of work. You are a racist bore that belongs stuck in time over at Coup 4.5. You have NO idea about Fiji, and doubt you are even from there, another armchair critic, spewing forth hatred and old fashioned ideals. What really gets me and other is you cry 'human rights' yet i have seen the comments over on your site, all of you contradict yourselves, if you had your way all pro government supporters would die a horrid death. I shake my head in shame at all of you who support such violence and hatred, and don't turn this back to 'taken the country by a gun' usual argument
you are not a nice person.
@ lay off lockington
Lockington mad his own bed. If you lie down with dogs you get fleas. Perhaps we all need to think before we decide to associate with. Those who choose to side with coup perpetrators must know what is coming - it is their problem - called free choice. Too late to plead innocence now the regime is crumbling.
I make no apologies for wishing ill to those that continue to dominate Fiji. Feel free to read whatever you like into upper case and lower case 'f'. Violence or the threat of voiolence is this govenrtment policy as far as i can see so there is no inconsistency on my part, but i very enthusiastic about consequences.There wuill be plenty to go around, and i=unolike other hear, i don't have to be on the defensive I am perfectly thrilled at the idea that anyone , with any ties to any coup shoudl suffer, then let us move on. I am fine with going as far back as Rabuka and cleaning out the lot.VBut the very idea that anyone who has benefited from this coupd being a front runner for the next elections, should they make until then, is a joke. The idea that coup-apologists can decide how and who can take over this country is also laughable, you had no say and have no say, that clearly doesn't bother you in the slightest.
@ Made his own bed, you are a disgrace to condemn Allen Lockington merely because he contributes a column to this website. He never even mentions politics, concentrating solely on the everyday lives of ordinary people or reflections on the local culture and environment. And how dare you intimate that Croz Walsh is a dog from whom Lockington gets fleas just because Croz doesn't buy your particular brand of bigotry! That you would choose to personalise your twisted vendetta in such a way shows how far out of touch you are with the opinions of ordinary people in Fiji. You're lucky Croz Walsh even gives you a platform to launch your pathetic and cowardly attack. It shows how much more of a man he is than you are. If I write even the mildest criticism of fools like Jone Baledrokadroka in the comments section of Coup 4.5, it never gets past the gatekeeper. But Croz allows you to spray your venom all over the place here and attack Allen Lockington, who has more to offer in one column than you and your SDL gang in a lifetime of frustrated ranting. Your desperation has now reached fever pitch because you know you've lost. You will never return to your positions of power and privilege in Fiji and can't come to terms with the fact that your only future lies in the coldest reaches of Canberra, Christchurch, Vancouver or Santa Rosa. Maybe there, you'll feel the same chill of local opinion against immigrants that you've so blindly shown to those among you in your homeland. I hope you eventually find contentment in your exile and isolation. Ni sa moce vakadua and good riddance.
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