A symposium to discuss the review of the 45-year old Fiji National Provident Fund Act and Pension Scheme will be held in Suva this Wednesday and Thursday. Prof Wadan Narsey couldn’t wait until then. He’s got in early and three anti-government blogs have already published his article in which he called the symposium” a big farce, a pretence at ‘public consultation’, much like the Charter Charade organized by Bainimarama, John Samy and Petero Mataca.”
He said the panel of IMF, World Bank and ILO “experts” who will be at the symposium are “unknown and unaccountable” and made a number of serious complaints about the operation of the FNPF Board and the mismanagement of pension funds.
Had the article stopped there, it would have served its purpose in asking questions that need to be answered. But he went on to raise political issues only distantly related to the FNPF.
- He called for the publication of a “full list of coup collaborators and supporters in Fiji and abroad” (last week’s CoupFourPointFive list apparently was not enough).
- He said “we” (should be) teaching our children not take part in the daily charade by treasonous people illegally pretending to be Prime Ministers, Ministers, Attorney General, President, and First Ladies, etc.” He called on “Australia and NZ to take sanctions against all their (sic!) citizens who have supported the treasonous military coup in Fiji”.
- He appealed to the military to “call on Bainimarama and his ministers to resign.
- And he concluded by saying “If we continue to remain docile and quiet under oppression, we deserve everything we get, while condemning our children to a bleak future.”
Once, a few years back, Wadan Narsey could have played a useful role in shaping Fiji’s future. He chose instead to publically criticise each and every Government move, when more moderate and balanced criticism, although perhaps distasteful to Government, could have had some influence.
Unfortunately, his latest outburst makes this even more unlikely, and puts him on an even steeper collision course with government.
14 comments:
Croz
Are you now threatening people on behalf of the military regime?
Oh excuse me... what a load of garbage... since when has ANY criticism of this regime, even your own , led anywhere.......I wouldn't hold my breath. But we are are all meant to hold our tongues, be polite and patient?? I would be thrilled if you could identify even one instance where your own very carefully crafted and scraven criticism has made the slightest bit of difference.
So what if he raised political issues? How can one ask questions about the current state and management of the FNPF without being political? Most, if not all, of the things he raised up are seemingly true anyway.
This idea that only people who are polite and non-political have valid ideas is crazy.
Green peace is a very loud, very political organisation who present very one sided arguments and can be extreme in campaigning in NZ and around the word. I don't always agree with them but they play a useful role in championng the environment and change - that is good.
Fiji is in real danger right now because no one is aloud to hold or express views other than those that praise the PM and this government. By all means point out what is wrong about what Narsey says or provide alternate views. But please, lets not strike him down for being brave enough to have a view and express it. I say where are all the former SDL ministers making comments ?
Fiji needs alternate views more than anything right now. Well done Prof narsey for continuing to speak out.
Don't worry Croz, you will be happy to know Prof Nasey will be silienced soon enough. Unfortunately he can't be deported because he is only a Fiji citizen but we have FICAC working on charges right now. He has been warned but has not shut up so soon enough he will get what is coming.
Croz - will you be happy when C4.5 is shut down and every critic silenced leaving only you and CCF to make mild comments and observations ?
Going on the "media consultations" I would tend to agree this process will be a joke.
At least Warden is right. He lives here - he knows
Croz
Wouldn't it be more useful on your part to debate the Professor's points then to diagnose it?
@ Not gagged ...I would agree with you totally were it not that Wadan always attacks and is always negative. As I said, his criticism could once have been useful were this not so. Remember that Wadan was also a NFP politician for a short while and that many of his reasoned arguments conceal a political purpose. What that purpose is was made quite clear towards the end of his "FNPF" article.
@ Kahuna ... Yes, but I have written earlier on some of the FNPF matters he raised. You could also ask whether it would have been better had Wadan waited until the Symposium was held before he damned it out of hand.
You will have noted that I didn't attack what he had to say about the FNPF, only what followed that was not on the FNPF.
"You will have noted that I didn't attack what he had to say about the FNPF, only what followed that was not on the FNPF."
How can you make a distinction between the 2? The military is indirectly financing itself partly from the FNPF!!!
Croz even John Key is concerned tha New Zealand cannot afford the Kiwisave the equivalent of the FNPF. It's the current economic climate.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4981180/KiwiSaver-affordable-in-sunshine
Dear Croz,
There is a true irony to this because Professor Narsey was asked by Frank to be chairman of the FNPF. I can’t remember the exact date but it was either the end of 2007 or early 2008. Wisely he turned down the offer and has stuck to his principles
I may not agree with what he has to say, but he surely has the right to express his opinions. In Fiji the regime has taken away the right to speak out from all but the brave. This article is particularly courageous considering on Wednesday the regime brought sedition charges against 2 its citizens.
Your support of the government and your attempts at justification are getting very tired and no longer has much credibility. You have not been in Fiji for nearly a year and then it was only for a week or 2. You really have no idea what it is like to live here now. So please don’t criticize the one man in Fiji who is prepared to speak out openly against this regime.
Croz I couldn't agree more with your view on Narsey. He was invited to attend the FNPF Meeting but he turned it down and instead shoots off on blogs!! Maybe he knew his view could not stand up to reasoned debate? Most anti-Government views don't, that's why there is a policy of non-engagement. Blaming the PER is not good enough when you are given an opportunity to take part in an intelligent debate on the very subject you have chosen and you turn it down. In my opinion, it is cowardly to attack your adversary on a blog he may not read or see, when you could have met it head on. Sorry Mr Wadhan, you no longer get my vote.
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