The news conveyed in the President's and the PM's address to the nation tonight was entirely predictable, and probably unavoidable.
The choice was between going to the Constituent Assembly with a draft that would have been opposed by pro-government representatives making consensus. or even majority decisions, unlikely, or going back to the drawing board. Government legal people will now look at the draft, retaining its indisputable good features and removing those features unacceptable to Government, to come up with a new draft for debate by the Constituent Assembly at the end of the month.
The people will still have a say. The Ghai draft and the new draft will be available for discussion but the more divisive recommendations will have been removed. It is probably not very helpful to ask who caused this but one must ask who, realistically, would have expected anything different. Had the Ghai draft been more realistic, and not so obviously intent on sidelining the military, more of its recommendations would have been accepted. Now, it looks as though some of those recommendations, that could have been retained, will be lost.
In politics, as in life, it is often necessary to work for the best possible outcomes and not overreach oneself expecting the ideal but the impossible.
If you have not already done so, I urge you to read Part II of my article on the Constituent Assembly. It spells out the major obstacles that led to the withdrawal of the draft constitution.
22 comments:
I just love the presidents line "We cannot as in the past allow unelected people to make decisions for the rest of the public in the new parliamentary system".
Haven't unelected people been making decisions in Fiji for the last 6 years (people like him) and dosen't he want the Military to continue to do that forever ?
So it's all Ghai's fault ? Seriously Croz open your eyes. The Military clearly have to come to the table and be reasonable at some point.
And who set up the process, hand selected Ghai and his commissioner ? Surely the Military government should say "we stuffed up". Oh thats right they always, always, always blame everyone else !!!!!!!!!!
Anyone noticing a pattern ?
The constitution was great untile they didnt like it so they threw it out.
Decrees are all great...until they don't like them so they change them.
The Commission and process was mastery...until they didn't like it so they changed it.
Democracy will be great...until they dont like it and stage more and more coups. Who - the military, the military, the military !
excellent, remember add gst to your invoice
Whoever is doing the PR for this incompetent military junta is failing miserably.
As predicted, the draft doc will be amended. also it will be amended once more. The critics can keep squealing about the current gov but things are moving and it will be completed. As for the external powers, they can sit on the sidelines because they will also miss out on progress. We are no longer going to be ruled by the elites. Too bad they are crying because there is real ground work is happening. Ohh and forgot to mention the roads are being upgraded as we speak. Watch the roads next year. The odinary people would benefit. Keep squealing because frankly we dont care. I am really proud to be Fijian and willing to move to a brighter future!!
Oh come on. You can't expect the government to go back to square one and write off all its reforms since 2006.It was naive of Ghai and his fellow commissioners to think that that was an option. This result is sad but predictable given the undemocratic provisions of the draft. No one on this site has tried to defend the mind boggling National Assembly.
Or the mind boggling transitional provisions which would have brought back the old guard wheelbarrow buying qoliqoli bill drafting goodwill receiving permanent secretaries.
The problem is that Ghai was rubbing shoulders with people who did nothing for Fiji when they were in power or had some influence on previous govts, and these people had a huge input in the draft to suit their divisive style of politics. Here is a cut and paste of what I am talking about. Look at the receipients names in this email from Ghai:
From: Yash Ghai
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2013 18:43:15 +0300
To: Mick Beddoes; Vijay Naidu; Keshwa Reddy; ; Mahendra Chaudhry; ; ; Biman Prasad; Sumit Bisarya; Christina Murray; Satendra Nandan; Penelope Moore; Richard Naidu; ; Akuila Yabaki; mithleshni gurdayal; ; ; ; Albert Mariner; ; Seraseini Vulavou; ; ; ; Krishna Datt; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Claire Slatter
Subject: Authentic drafts
Please see my attached memo - and the authentic documents.
Yash
4 attachments — Download all attachments
Appendage to Draft for Proposed Constitution of Fiji 1840.pdf Appendage to Draft for Proposed Constitution of Fiji 1840.pdf
290K View Download
The Explanatory Report.pdf The Explanatory Report.pdf
1446K View Download
Thursday Draft Constitution of Fiji 1112.pdf Thursday Draft Constitution of Fiji 1112.pdf
874K View Download
The powers of the Constitution Commission to publish and disseminate the Draft Constitution and the Explanatory Report.docx The powers of the Constitution Commission to publish and disseminate the Draft Constitution and the Explanatory Report.docx
17K View Download
Lets see what they really change. If it the scrapping the Great Council of Chiefs and the Peoples Assembly then OK but i suspet they will have a go at a lot more - for example ensuring they stay in power up until the election, ensuring they (military) remain above and beyound the law always, ensuring they have a role beyond 2014 and giving them ways to toss out or beat up anyone they dont like in the futre.
All with CRoz's full backing, that predictable. Again we hear the ecxuse that the 'government couldn't possbily accept some element sof the draft decree, but everyone else is expected to be blackmailed by the regime on elements they find quite disgusting and repugnant. This will bring about a fairer and mor harmonious Fiji and a consititution that will last the test of time!!!??...lol. The goons again have demonstrated no good faith in any of their dealings and we can expect more decrees to reign in the constituent assemply. Can Croz please explain following rceent events what is going to happen when the CA comes up with their own ideas of what if 'fair and just' and the regime again patronises then bad mouths the participants and junks their draft, for its own plan. What is the point of any further 'consultation' when all they want is to draft it to protect themselves?
The regime has the ability to co-opt quite decent people and reasonable processs into a result that is sh*t. Quite like cindarella in reverse. All they touch is not gold...
Surely the constituent assembly don't need an entire month to discuss as the thugs and thei cronies have already written it the way they want it?, can't they just meet for a morning tea for 45 minutes next Tuesday to sign?? We can always be informed about it some time after the next election...
There seems to many faceless people supporting the military government but i don't see any spontaneous marches in support down the streets of Nadi and Suva ?? why, do they fear being fired on accidentally?
Fiji's 'constitutional processes' appear such a joke...only in a pacific banana republic.
Who are Fiji's "Elite" today ? Well for the last 6 years it has been the military top brass - they hold all the power. Non more so than the PM and President.
Predictable...how very smug and patronising... you may as well say , 'if you don't do as your told and do what the military want, we will keep scrapping your suggestion sin favour of what they will accept. This is the pacific way??! So much for dialogue it feels to me more like being held to ransom.I do hope the potential candidates for the 'constituent asembly are watching carefully, but as they have been warned, so they may well behave. What an achievement Crosbie.
can you imagine the 'hue an cry' from Croz W if Qarase had done this?, he would have called for a coup???
yeah i have been looking at previous posts on other articles and see that there really is nothing the military can't do in his eyes that he won't see as a better alternative to the Qarase government. He doens' even come close to looking best practice, accountability or natural justice for those who are currently being told how to think and what to say. The logic appears bit twisted to me.
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I must give you this, Croz, your ability to generate pro-junta spin is almost admirable. Have you already prepared an excuse for the cancellation of the election?
Now let us wait ans see whether Fiji has any real leaders or whether we will get the old negative we hate you and don't want to talk with you mentality.And they say government is not inclusive.
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