News and Comments Late Friday 10 July 2012

WEEKEND READING. • Allen Lockington Column • Interview with Nik Naidu • Thinking about Political Parties by Sudarsan Kant  • Victor Lal on Indo-Fijian Identity

THE SDL KERFUFFLE.  It was an SDL submission but more will follow.See Grubsheet  for an update.

OFFICIAL MEDIA RELEASE: PUBLIC SERVANTS CAN PARTICIPATE IN CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS

In an unprecedented move, the Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has today announced that public servants, as Fijian citizens, should also have a say and participate in formulation of Fiji’s new Constitution to take our country to General Elections in 2014.  This has never happened before neither for the 1990 nor the 1997 Constitutional Review processes.

The Head of Government said that this decision is in line with his earlier public statements that all citizens must have a say and all are at liberty to exercise their rights and make meaningful contributions to the process underway for the 2014 General Elections.

He said that public servants comprise nearly 4 per cent of Fiji’s population and as such their views as Fijian citizens must be heard.

“I would like to request all public servants to participate in the consultation process. Such participation and submissions however will have to be in your personal capacities and that no resources of the State should  be utilised in this process.

“Public Servants are free to air their views in front of the Constitutional Commission in their private capacity and not officially as public servants. This is in line with established procedures under the General Orders as well as the Public Service Act of 1999 which inter-alia articulates the Public Service Code of Conduct”.

Additionally,groups of Public Servants and/or Institutions such as Permanent Secretaries, Ministry of Finance, Public Service Commission, Office of the Auditor General, Judicial Department, Fiji Police Force, Fiji Prisons and Corrections Services, Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption, Office of Solicitor General, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions etc. are permitted to make official submissions to better explain their roles and responsibilities.

The Prime Minister said that this is a one time opportunity for every Fijian to contribute to the process currently underway to get the governance of Fiji set on a sustainable path.

NEW CHARGES AGAINST QARASE. Click here.

FIJI-KOREA. Trade ties have been strengthened between the two countries.